Unrequited
by caithzadz
Summary: Katherine, Queen of the Nymphs, harbors some secret feelings for her good friend, Jareth, the Goblin King, even if she knows that his heart would always belong to Sarah Williams
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is a test. I've seen many Jareth/OC fics receive much negativity from Jareth/Sarah fans so if this piece gets some curiosity and interested readers, I can continue it. For any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to message me! So... with that said...

Disclaimer: I do not own "Labyrinth."

The goblins were nervous, she could tell. In the last few months that she had been here, she had never seen them so jumpy, so jittery and so… quiet. And she was going to get to the bottom of it because _she_ was Her Royal Highness Queen Katherine Jove, ruler of the Nymph Kingdom, one of the five keeper of keys to the gateways Aboveground, and ambassador to the High Fae Court.

Katherine came to the Goblin Kingdom several months ago as a favor to her long-time friend, Jareth the Goblin King. A year ago, he came to the Nymph Kingdom, frantic and confused because his gateway to the Above had mysteriously closed up. He had felt a summon for a wished away child, but when he tried to transport there, he bounced back. When he tried to fly as an owl, the gateway wouldn't let him in. Even the goblins could not sneak their way in. It happened two more times, and he knew someone had tampered with his gateway. For now, they didn't know who, but it was under investigation by the Nymph Kingdom. Meanwhile, they set him up with a temporary portal through a forest near the palace that he could use while they fixed his gateway in the sky. Katherine could have easily sent one of her cloud nymphs to fix it, but then Jareth had seen the improvements she had done for the Nymph Kingdom and was impressed. He wished the same changes to be done with his own and asked for their help. She couldn't hand that job off to one of her nymphs.

Katherine was reluctant to leave at first. She'd only been Queen for a few years and she had so many responsibilities. But her cousins, who ruled alongside her as Queen Regents, assured her that they could take care of matters on their own while she was gone. The Goblin King had done so much for them when their kingdom had been at war with the bordering land and this was just a small way to repay him. With some encouragement from their grandfather and coaxing from Jareth, the young nymph finally agreed. So here she was, overseeing the building of an irrigation system for the farm fields and a school building in the city, as well as establishing a school system and training schoolteachers for the goblin younglings and the wished away children.

Life here was pretty much the same as back home, everyday a constant routine of duties and responsibilities. She would wake up, eat breakfast, do her rounds, eat lunch, ask Jareth if there was anything she could help him with, relax in the afternoons if he didn't need her help or take care of other renovation matters, eat dinner, relax and spend time with Jareth, and sleep. She was content.

But today, she sensed something different in the atmosphere. Something… off. It was stale and dry. It left a bitter taste in her mouth. But that wasn't all. She could see it on the kingdom's subjects as well.

For example, that morning when she arrived at the dining room for breakfast, all the goblins, who were whispering amongst themselves had ceased talking as soon as she entered. Not to mention, the Goblin King was missing from the breakfast table. It was odd, but not something that was too odd. He ate earlier than her sometimes when he had plenty of work to do. So she shrugged it off and enjoyed her fruit.

Then, she took her normal morning stroll through the Goblin City to check on the construction of the school. She also stopped by the orphanage for the wished away children. There were only five children now, waiting for their new fae families to take them home. The orphanage was an idea that her cousin Elizabeth had suggested to Jareth a few years ago. Prior to that, he usually let the children run loose in the palace until he found a home for them. It was much better and more orderly now. There were even fae nannies and nursemaids employed at the place as well as some goblin nannies.

As she strolled the streets of the small city, the goblins she passed whispered amongst themselves in worried tones, looking towards the castle from whence she came. Again, she thought nothing of it, assuming it was another rumor about the King that would die down within a few days.

And then, she went out into the fields to check on the harvest and inventory for the upcoming winter months. It was usually Jareth's job, but he had been busy the last few days with paperwork that he asked her to do this one favor for him today. When she arrived, the goblins were chattering more so than usual and with worried expressions as well. She thought there was a problem with the crops, but they assured her that there were none. She took inventory and left to check on the goblins building the irrigation system. She observed the same thing, but like everyone else, they reassured her that all was fine.

Even the fae servants were on edge, more so than usual. They whispered in hush tones with the goblins and avoided her questions when she asked. It was like a blanket of gloom and paranoia had befallen the Goblin City and the castle beyond it.

So when Katherine returned to the castle from her morning duties, she was determined to get to the bottom of this oddity. Finally, her light brown eyes spotted an inhabitant of the castle.

"Excuse me," she called to the small goblin passing by, wearing a filthy white apron over a drab yellow dress and carrying a plate of buns.

The goblin squeaked and dropped the plate in shock, but Katherine raised her hand and reached out with her air magic to catch it before the buns made it to the filthy floor. The plate and buns floated towards the goblin's waiting hands. She bowed in thanks.

"Does the Lady need anything?" the female goblin asked.

"Yes, can you tell me what's going on here?"

"Er… what does the Lady mean?"

Katherine walked closer to her. "I mean the fact that there seems to be some kind of unspoken secret in the air. Heck, I can even feel it in the air!"

The goblin didn't reply and was simply fidgeting, looking like she wanted to get away but couldn't.

"Um… er… um…" the goblin stammered.

"There is something amiss and I want to know what's wrong. Maybe I can help."

"Um… er… um…."

Katherine raised an eyebrow before going down on one knee to the little creature's height, careful not to trip over her own dress.

"Come on, you can tell me," she goaded.

The goblin hesitated.

"What's your name?" Katherine asked.

"Nip, your majesty."

"Nip… I'll give you a sweet if you do," she tempted, smiling mischievously.

The goblin's ears perked at the mention of candy. The king had forbidden sugar from their diet, except for special occasions. Today was not a special occasion. But Katherine always carried a small bag of sweets with her, giving them to goblins as rewards if they did her favors. Jareth didn't like it when she did this, often confronted her about it, but she did it anyway. It was probably why they liked her more.

"Well…" Nip looked around nervously, making sure no one was around. She motioned for Katherine to come closer and whispered in her ear. "Today is the day that girl beat him many years ago."

Katherine's eyebrows furrowed. "Girl? What girl?"

"The girl with the pretty brown hair and green eyes who ate the magic peach and almost broke the city. All I knows is that Kingy gets more angry and kicks harder and yells louder. He also is sad more and stops singing for many days. It always happens this day every year."

Everything finally clicked. Katherine knew what was going on. And she couldn't believe that she hadn't known, not that he had told her. She and Jareth had been friends for so long, but Katherine realized that there was still so much she didn't know about the Goblin King. She knew what it was that was bothering him, it was common knowledge in the Underground. But she never knew the true extent of that past event. Jareth never confided in her and she never asked.

Reaching into the leather pouch around the belt on her waist, Katherine took out a piece of butterscotch candy and gave it to Nip.

"Our little secret, okay?" she whispered, pressing a finger to her lips, mischievously.

Nip brightened up at the gift. "Okay!"

The goblin toddled away happily.

Meanwhile, the Queen of the Nymphs gathered up her skirts and went to find the Goblin King.

LABYRINTH

Jareth sighed for what was probably the thousandth time that morning. A new record. It wasn't even lunchtime yet.

He was in his study, away from the prying eyes of his subjects, lazily sitting on his chair with his feet propped up on the desk. A glass of goblin wine was in his hands and he took a swig whenever a thought about this day entered his mind. A half-empty bottle of the stuff was on the desk, just an arm's reach away.

It was that day of the year again. The day where 20 years ago, he was bested by a 15-year old human girl. That wasn't different, he had met many 15-year olds who defeated the labyrinth and won back their loved ones. No, what was different about this particular 15-year old was that not only did she hold the record of solving the labyrinth in the shortest amount of time, he had also fallen hopelessly in love with her and offered her everything, only to have her break his heart into pieces.

He felt pathetic. Why was he even keeping track of this day? Oh yeah. Because he was a masochist.

"Jareth?" a voice called through the door followed by a series of knocks.

He ignored it and took a swig of the wine. It burned his throat and warmed him from the top of his blonde head to the tips of his toes.

"Jareth, I know you're in there. Open up!"

He continued to pretend she wasn't there.

"Goblin King, if you don't open this door, I swear I will blast it open!"

Jareth cracked a smile, amused. "I'd love to see you try."

He heard a defeated sigh and chuckled. Katherine would never really break down the door. She found that too much of a waste of a good door. As he raised the glass to his lips again, he felt a sudden breeze that was out of place in such a warm room. And his windows were closed too.

He groaned. Sometimes, he forgot she could do that.

He could see the outline of a breeze sneaking in from underneath the cracks of the door and quickly taking shape. Soon enough, there in front of him stood the Queen of the Nymphs, one of his best friends, and whose magic he forgot allowed her to turn into the winds.

His eyes ran over her slightly disheveled hair and wrinkly maroon dress. He had to admit, she was simple-looking by fae standards. Although faes are naturally magnificent creatures, their beauty, much like mortals, can be enhanced with the aid of cosmetics and frivolous accessories. And over the centuries, many fae took advantage of such things, even Jareth himself. But, Katherine kept herself simple in that regard.

She was tan, due to the copious amount of time she spent outdoors, but not quite dark. Her wavy dark brown locks had streaks of blue, the color of the sky, in them. Her eyes were a warm shade of chocolate brown, decked with light blue above her eyelids, a fae marking. Her ears were slightly less pointy than Jareth's, due to being half nymph. But, most definitely not ugly.

She was lean and of average height, but he knew not to take her delicate appearance for granted. He knew that the long, poufy sleeves of her gown hid toned muscles highly-trained with the sword. Not to mention that she was now flashing him a look that meant business.

Katherine was centuries younger than Jareth. Heck she was still a child in comparison to him, only 25 in mortal years (30 in fae years, so practically an infant) and most obviously the youngest Queen in the whole Underground. Heck, in Underground history. But when she got angry, she was like a storm. He had no doubt she could turn into one if she really wanted to. Or was that her younger cousin, Annalise's, ability? He wasn't quite sure at this point, his mind was a little hazy from the wine.

Crossing her arms, Katherine stalked over to his desk and planted the palm of her hands firmly on top of it with a soft 'bang.' "Why didn't you tell me?!"

Jareth quirked an eyebrow. "Tell you what?"

"About today!" She stomped her foot in frustration. "I thought I was your friend."

"You are."

"But you didn't tell me about _today_."

Jareth's eyes narrowed, suddenly irritated. "Who told you?"

"It's not important. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't realize my personal affairs were your business," he said, coldly.

"I'm your friend, your personal affairs _are_ my business," she responded, equally cold. "What gives, Jareth? I tell you everything."

"You didn't tell me about that mortal boy. Tom, was it?" he taunted.

Katherine's eyes narrowed as she threw her hands in the air in frustration. "Oh please Jareth, I dated the guy for two weeks, let it go."

The Goblin King smirked inwardly. She was fun to infuriate sometimes. Her flaring nostrils were adorable and her right eye would twitch slightly, amusing him. She had grown up and lived Above for some time before she claimed her throne shortly after her 21st birthday (25th in fae years), so her Aboveground upbringing often manifested itself when she was angry and she spoke and ranted like a mortal.

"Besides," she continued. "This isn't about me. It's about you and your unrequited feelings for Sarah Williams and I don't understand why you don't just man up and go to her! Stop being a coward!"

Jareth could only see red as he felt himself fly from his desk and grab her by the throat, his eyes blazing with anger.

"I. Am. Not. A. Coward," he hissed at her, his fingers tightening around her neck.

He wanted to see her suffer for insulting him. How dare she?! She was only a child! She knew nothing about his heart!

Katherine only icily returned his gaze before calmly lifting her own hands to wrap around his wrists. Although Jareth was far stronger than she, the Nymph Queen was not a weakling. Without breaking eye contact, she slowly but firmly disengaged his fingers from her throat. He felt his hands loosen themselves and drop to his sides as he began to calm down.

Jareth felt a twinge of guilt when he saw the faint blue marks his fingers had made on her delicate neck. He really needed to work on his temper. His friend was only trying to help. She and her cousins were the very few true friends he had. And she really didn't have to tell him about that mortal boy, it had been a fleeting infatuation, nothing important.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking down at the floor, ashamed. "I got carried away."

Katherine narrowed her eyes at him before reaching over to grab the bottle of goblin wine still on his desk.

"Well, if you're going to wallow away your sorrows in this stuff, I might as well keep you company," she said, leaning against the edge of the desk.

It still amazed him how easily she could forgive, but he knew that she would never forget.

Without warning, Katherine made to take a swig straight from the bottle. Jareth stopped her before it reached her lips, looking disgusted at her manners, or rather her lack thereof.

"You're not acting very queen-ly right now," he told her, as he conjured another glass for her to use.

She smirked as she took it from him. "Well, right now, I'm not the queen of your closest ally. I'm your friend."

She poured herself some wine and raised the glass between them. Jareth obligingly took his own glass and clinked it with hers.

"To Sarah," he said. "May she realize how much she had broken the spirit of the Goblin King." He laughed, bitterly. "No power over her indeed."

He took a long swig while Katherine simply took a sip, a thoughtful look on her face.

"You know, I never asked," she said softly, looking at her glass. "I guess that was my mistake. I was hoping you'd tell me yourself." She turned her head to look at him. "But, please Jareth, I can't bear to see you like this. Even the goblins are on edge. Tell me what you're really feeling."

The king sighed. "You wouldn't understand."

"I'd still like to know. Maybe I can help."

Jareth looked at her, finally seeing the look of determination on her face. Katherine and her cousins were all stubborn, he guessed it was a family trait. He knew she wouldn't leave him alone.

After re-filling his glass to the brim, he settled himself on the floor against the desk and she copied him. With that, the Goblin King bared his heart and soul to the Nymph Queen. And like the good friend she was, she listened, faithfully. Funny how things ended up, granted how she used to hate him.

LABYRINTH

_"__Jareth, it's good to see you, my boy," King Atticus Jove of the Nymph kingdom greeted him as the Goblin King transformed from a snowy white barn owl into his fae form._

_Jareth went to shake the older fae's hand before the man chuckled and pulled Jareth into a fatherly hug. Atticus was at least a millennia older than he and the years were catching up with the older fae. His once dark hair was turning silver and so was his short beard. The wrinkles around his brilliant blue eyes were more apparent, but they have not lost their playful spark. The man was as old as Jareth's own father. He had been ruling the Nymph Kingdom far longer than Jareth had ruled the Goblin Kingdom. As a young prince centuries ago, he had learned everything he needed to know from this fae._

_"__And how was the travel?" Atticus asked, leading him into the grand castle._

_"__Uneventful," he replied, nonchalantly, hiding his fatigue from the travel. "The winds were a little harsh, but bearable."_

_Jareth could have transported himself easily here, but with the Seelie Nymph Kingdom at war with their Unseelie neighbor, the Moor Lands, extra precautions had been taken to make sure no unfamiliar magic was to get through the shields to the Nymph Kingdom. So Jareth had to fly and make his presence known to the guards at the border. They were already expecting him, so they had an opening in the shield ready, big enough for him to fly through._

_Compared to Jareth's own plain and dreary-looking castle, everything here was bright. The walls and floor were made of marble and white stone, decorated with flowering plants and rich tapestries. The servants, both fae and nymph alike, were dressed in bright, earthy-colors of blue, green, red, and yellow. Jareth knew that they had a few dwarves in their employ as well, but they mostly worked in the royal mines, or rather what was left of it. The war has taken a toll on the kingdom's treasury. _

_Atticus chuckled, good-heartedly. "I'm sorry about the shields. We can't risk anymore sneak attacks, especially with my granddaughters being here now."_

_"__Ahhh, your little princesses," Jareth replied, smiling. "Do I get to meet the spawns of my dear friends?"_

_"__Of course, Jareth! If you want, as soon as you get settled into your rooms, you can rest for a moment and then we'll go meet them. They're out in the fields training."_

_"__That reminds me." Jareth stopped and took out a crystal and lightly tossed it against the marble floor. Three goblins appeared with luggage. They looked up at him imploringly. "Follow me and behave accordingly. We are guests here."_

_The goblins nodded. _

_After a servant had taken them to his rooms, Jareth allowed his goblins to wander, with a strict warning not to cause a ruckus and to return by nightfall. After some time, Atticus summoned him down to the main hall and the two old friends spent the time talking and catching up as they walked towards the fields. _

_Mostly, Atticus talked about how his granddaughters had made their way back home from Aboveground, shortly after the youngest girl's 16__th__ birthday. They seemed to have accepted the news quiet well, though how they found out frightened them immensely. It had delighted Atticus to discover that his late wife's nymph blood ran strong, giving the girls powers over nature, just like their mothers. _

_Unfortunately, his daughters and their husbands had been captured by the enemy, shortly after the girls were sent to the kingdom through a gateway. They found out only a week after the girls arrived, when some of Jareth's spy goblins returned to report to them. Several attempts at rescue were made, but the last rescue team discovered that the royals were nowhere in the enemy's palace. They suspected the royals were being held in another part of the land, but where exactly was still to be discovered. But, in the meantime, Atticus handed over the training of his granddaughters' gifts to some of the guardian nymphs._

_The girls had been in the Underground for only two months, enough time to get to know the kingdom and their new world, but not enough to deem them ready for what awaited their future. _

_Jareth knew his old friend was trying to stay positive, but he could also see how much the worrying for his daughters had drained him. The man looked too thin, had dark circles under his eyes, and was so weak that he needed the help of a walking staff. However, he spoke highly of his grandchildren. They brought him hope every day and were the only ones who could cheer him up now. _

_Finally, they reached the training fields where knights were training the young princesses. The girls were young, so very young. Each wore armor made from dragon hide, if Jareth was correct. It was light as air, but stronger than any metal. It was a rare material since blacksmiths had to wait until a dragon shed its skin, which only occurred in the summer. He assumed that Atticus had those specially made for the girls and paid a hefty price for them. Jareth allowed himself a few moments to observe the princesses as Atticus began to introduce the girls to him._

_ "__The one by the archery ring is the youngest, Annalise" he said, pointing to a petite brunette. "Sophia's daughter, inherited her power over lightning. She has quite an overactive imagination and simply refuses to stop moving. She will wear you out."_

_Jareth observed as the girl nodded her head at her instructor before taking a deep breath and taking a shot at the target, her hazel eyes, decked with golden markings, narrowed in concentration. When she released, the arrow landed just outside the black dot. The girl let out a groan of frustration and grabbed another arrow. _

_'__She doesn't give up, a good quality trait_,'_ Jareth mused. 'Just like Sophia.'_

_"__The one practicing with the short swords is Josephine, Diana's girl. Inherited her power over earth. She's quiet at first, but when she warms up to you, she'll chat your ears off. She loves animals, just like her mother did."_

_The girl was flaxen and had crystal blue eyes, decked by mint green markings, traits he recognized to be Diana's. But instead of Diana's straight locks, the girl sported a mane of curls that was tied back with a ribbon. She was struggling to keep up with the knight she was sparring with, but she was flexible and used this to her advantage. Jareth watched her twist and maneuver her way out of the opposing swords' touch. She was a cunning one, he could tell. With her father being a former battle strategist, that was inevitable._

_"__Over there with the spear is Elizabeth, Myrtle's girl, inherited her power over water. She's a sweet girl. Inherited her father's voice and musical talents. I suppose as a former court troubadour, he felt it necessary to keep his love of music alive in Elizabeth."_

_Elizabeth had a long braid of blonde hair and a pair of green eyes, decked by light blue markings. And she was delicate, Jareth could tell. _

_'__Just like her mother,' he thought to himself, remembering the soft-spoken fae, who hated fighting. He could see that resonate in the girl as well, as she hesitated with each attack. She was weak with offense, but her defense was good. He could work on her with that. _

_"__The one by the daggers is Jessica-."_

_"__Belinda's? I recognize the hair and the look in her eyes," Jareth laughed, remembering how he and the other fae would bicker and banter back and forth. She was fiery and had obviously passed that on to her daughter. "Got more than just Bel's fire power, I can see what."_

_Atticus laughed along. "She's quite the athlete. Picked up any skill the knights taught her with no problem."_

_Compared to the rest, Jessica's head was the darkest, hair as black as a raven's feather. It was also cropped short, reaching the collar of her armor. She was the tallest of them all. Even from afar, he could see the blaze in her dark eyes, made darker by the golden marking, as she hit each target with a flying dagger with precision. He saw her break into a smile at what she had done and, to his surprise, began jumping up and down and clapping. _

_'__Like a child,' he thought to himself. 'They were all children.'_

_"__And of course, the eldest, whom you already know," Atticus said, pointing to a slender brunette holding a sword, sparring with a knight. "You held her once, when she was born."_

_Jareth smiled at the memory of a tiny smiling babe, cooing at him. _

_"__Katherine," the Goblin King said, fondly. "Minerva's daughter. Power over air. How can I forget the babe that vomited her breakfast on me?"_

_The two men laughed at the memory. _

_"__Indeed," Atticus said. "A passionate young woman, that one. Very mature for her age. She also… inherited Minerva's gift."_

_Jareth raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"_

_"__In fact, she had actually received a vision of an attack during Annalise's 16__th__ birthday, but had paid it no mind. The poor girl was frightened beyond belief when she realized that that vision came true."_

_Katherine did not inherit her mother's blonde hair, blue eyes, or the silver markings. She looked more like her philosopher father, with a braid of the darkest shade of brown hair he had ever seen and a pair of light brown eyes, decked with light blue markings. But, Jareth observed that she had her mother's spirit. She carried herself with regal authority and grace, as she concentrated on the fight, her eyes constantly on alert, calculating. When she managed to defeat her opponent, Jareth caught her smile as she extended a hand to the fallen knight, who praised her. She blushed, sheepishly at the compliment as she apologized for almost harming him. Definitely Minerva's daughter._

_He couldn't believe that just like that, the little babe was all grown up. _

_They were all sixteen. Only sixteen. Sixteen years was nothing to a fae. But if they had grown up at home in the Underground where they belonged, they would still be little children, not the adolescents he was now watching training to kill. Jareth blamed the Aboveground for aging them too fast. Then again, that was partly his fault. When they all heard of the prophecy that Atticus' grandchildren would be the downfall of the Moor lands, Jareth was the one who suggested that the princesses escape Above to protect their children. But, he knew Atticus would never hold it against him. _

_Atticus ordered a guard to let his granddaughters know that training was to be cut short and that they were to meet him and a guest at the courtyard for lunch. _

_At the lovely courtyard, under the canopy of flowering trees, a table was set for seven. Atticus sat at the head and Jareth sat across from him. There were two seats on his right and three on his left. The two monarchs made small talk as they waited for the princesses to freshen up and join them. Half an hour later, Atticus looked up from the conversation and smiled._

_"__Ahhh, the princesses have arrived," he said standing up. Jareth followed suit and turned around._

_The five girls were now all clean and properly dressed. Behind them were five female servants, ready to assist them. The princesses looked at him in surprise and he flashed them a playful smile. The eldest, Katherine, must have remembered her manners and curtseyed, the others following her lead._

_"__My granddaughters, I'd like you to meet the Goblin King," Atticus said. "He has been our most trusted ally in this war and a good friend of mine."_

_Jareth bowed to them._

_"__Please, call me Jareth," he said. "An honor, my princesses."_

_With that, he stepped forward and grasped the youngest, Annalise's hand and placed a kiss upon it. The girl giggled and curtseyed. He moved on to Josephine, who blushed scarlet. Then, followed Elizabeth, who timidly looked at her feet after he released her hand. When he kissed Jessica's hand, he could see her fighting not to blush, and was looking at anything but him. He smirked and moved on to the eldest, who was regarding him with suspicion. Her hand was shaking as he took it and placed a kiss on it. She quickly snatched it back._

_"__Likewise, your majesty," she said, politely. Too politely._

_"__You don't look like a goblin," Annalise blurted out._

_Jareth turned to her just in time to see Josephine jab an elbow at her side. _

_"__Annie!" Elizabeth scolded, looking at Jareth apologetically. "We're sorry about that, sir."_

_"__Yeah, she can be insensitive," Jessica added, glaring at the younger girl._

_"__Sorry," the young fae said, looking down at her feet embarrassed._

_Jareth chuckled instead. He should have been offended, but the comment had amused him. "Indeed, I am not a goblin. Simply a goblin king. A handsome one, if I do say so myself."_

_Annalise blushed as red as a tomato._

_From where he was, Atticus laughed at their antics. "Come, everyone, let us sit and enjoy the food."_

_They all took their places, Josephine and Annalise on his right, and Katherine, Jessica, and Elizabeth on his left. _

_They were all chatty, Jareth observed. They still talked like Abovegrounders, but each was witty and had something to say. All except… the eldest._

_Katherine was quiet throughout the first and second courses. Jareth did his best to try to get at least a peep from the girl, but all he got were nods and head shakes at his questions. Maybe he should start asking questions that didn't have "yes" and "no" for answers. Was she shy?_

_By the time dessert came, Jareth was about to just let her be when something large and alive fell from the sky and onto the table. The princesses squealed while Atticus stared at the creature, wordlessly. The fae king groaned. It was one of his goblins, now covered in vanilla icing and chocolate._

_"__What in the world do you think you're doing?!" he hissed at it as the creature slowly sat up on the table and cowered at seeing his king so angry. "I told you, we are guests here and you are to behave as such!"_

_"__Kingy!" he stammered, shaking in his tiny boots. "Just tryin' to get big chicken from tree. Didn't mean to intrude."_

_"__Chicken? We don't have chickens," Jessica said, looking inquiringly at Atticus. "Do we?"_

_"__No, we do not," her grandfather responded, looking up. "I believe that is one of our giant quails up in that tree."_

_Suddenly, Josephine jumped with a loud gasp, looking up at the tree. _

_"__Maurice!" she yelled in panic, trying to find the quail through the thick foliage of the trees above._

_Her cousins and grandfather simply laughed in amusement._

_But Jareth was far from amused as he glared down at the goblin, cowering on the table. He grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and dropped him, not-so-gently onto the floor and was about to kick him away when the unexpected happened. Katherine had stood up and knelt down next to the goblin._

_"__You okay, little guy?" she asked, kindly extending a hand to him. _

_The goblin looked at her then at her hand. Unsure of what to do, he looked at Jareth. The king was torn between kicking the goblin anyway as was his nature or to allow the girl to show the thing a little sympathy. Well, there was no harm on the latter. He could always punish it later._

_He nodded and the goblin took the princesses' hand. She lifted him to his feet and stood up. _

_"__Let's get you cleaned up," she said to the goblin, taking his hand._

_"__My lady, allow me," one of the servants said, rushing forward._

_Katherine held up a hand, shaking her head. "I got this." She turned to Jareth, and to his surprise, her eyes were cold. "It was an accident. You don't have to be so cruel to him."_

_And with that, she left the courtyard hand-in-hand with the goblin, leaving behind a gaping Jareth. The goblin turned its head around to look at him, obviously confused._

_As for the rest of the day, he spent time with the four younger princesses and got to know them a little better. Annalise and Jessica, he discovered, were the athletes of the group. Annalise was part of a team of something called soccer and Jessica was team captain of something called basketball as well as a member of other teams in things called volleyball, lacrosse, and track. Though shy and timid, Elizabeth was musically-gifted. She could sing and play three instruments: the piano, guitar, and flute. And Josephine was a dancer, who also loved crafts. She could knit, crochet, and sew clothing. She could also draw and paint, though she claimed that she was not as skilled as the eldest, Katherine, in those two._

_Speaking of, the eldest did not appear again the rest of that day until dinner, in which she was quiet the entire meal and immediately retired to bed right after. Jareth could not understand. Did he somehow offend her? Was he truly that cruel to the little goblin that it disgusted her? He knew he came off as a little arrogant at times, but that was part of his charms. The ladies loved a little bit of arrogance._

_"__Don't worry about her," Jessica had reassured him. "She just has trust issues."_

_"__Yeah, she'll come around," Annalise had added. "Give her some time."_

_And Jareth did. For the next few days, he treated her just the way she treated him: coldly and suspiciously. Oh, she was polite enough to him, but avoided crossing his path when she could. Whenever he was with any of her cousins, she was always narrowing her eyes at him from where she was. She treated him like he was an enemy, and Jareth had no problems with the game. He found it quite amusing. But, after four days, he was finally exhausted trying to live up to her expectations. Now, who did that remind him of?_

_One night, try as he might, he couldn't fall asleep. He was tossing and turning and his bedroom was becoming too stuffy, despite the open window. So, he opted for a little midnight stroll. As he passed by a balcony, a figure in white sitting on the marble banister caught his eye. Seeing the braided dark brown hair upon closer inspection, he realized that it was the eldest princess. _

_Jareth could have simply ignored her and went on his merry way. Why on earth would he waste his time on a spoiled little princess who wanted nothing to do with him? _

_But he didn't. Instead, like the fool he was, he approached. As he neared her, he cleared his throat. Her back stiffened. Jareth continued on, calmly until he reached the spot next to her. She was wearing a white dressing gown over what he assumed was an equally white nightdress. Her white slipper-ed feet were dangling off the edge and Jareth had to admire her guts. They were three stories up and one wrong move could send her toppling down to her death. _

_"__And why is the princess still up at this hour?" he asked, pleasantly, flashing her his infamous Goblin King smirk._

_She frowned at him. "I could ask the same from the Goblin King."_

_"__I couldn't sleep."_

_"__And neither could I." She began swinging her legs back and forth like a child, looking like she had no care in the world. _

_It was a beautiful view, Jareth had to admit. The balcony was on the East side of the palace, overlooking a beautiful maze garden. It wasn't as beautiful as his Labyrinth, but admirable nonetheless. Beyond that, he could see part of the lower towns. Past that was a thick forest and then the border between the Nymph Kingdom and the dreary Moor Lands. Compared to the bright and colorful kingdom he was in right now, the Moor Lands were drab, lacking in color and vegetation. Even his own Goblin Kingdom looked like paradise next to it. No wonder they wanted this kingdom so badly, theirs was nothing compared to this place. Well, that and they wanted the keys to the gateways leading Aboveground. The keys which were currently kept hidden by Atticus until he could bestow them to their rightful bearers: his daughters._

_Jareth finally turned his head to observe his companion. She had a wistful look on her face as she stared out into the vast kingdom, specifically at the borders beyond the kingdom. _

_"__Thinking of your parents?" he asked, casually._

_She remained quiet for some time. Jareth didn't push for an answer, simply waited._

_"__Yes," she finally answered. "I keep wondering if they're okay… what their condition is… how I can save them." She sighed. "But there's nothing I can do yet. I can barely get the wind to obey me, can't even conjure my own sword. I can't help them while I'm like this."_

_Jareth stared at her. "I can help, you know. If you'll let me."_

_"__No, thanks," she responded, immediately. "I don't need your help."_

_He raised an eyebrow, before sneering. "Your cousin Annalise could barely conjure a piece of paper when I arrived. A few hours with me and she managed to conjure a whole book."_

_She winced and Jareth smiled. He got her right where it hurt. Her pride._

_"__I don't need your help," she repeated, stubbornly and refusing to look at him._

_Jareth shrugged and straightened up. "Suit yourself. I was going to assist you more with your magic and was going to offer my help in rescuing your parents. But if you'd rather I stayed out of your business, then I shall gladly oblige. Such a pity."_

_He turned around and began to walk away, slowly. 'Three… two… one…' he counted in his mind._

_"__Wait."_

_Jareth smirked and turned on his heels to look at the young fae, who had now turned around to look at him. She looked quite desperate… helpless… pitiful really. Maybe now she would treat him with the respect that he deserved._

_"__Yes?" he asked, pleasantly._

_She seemed to regret it, but if she was exactly like her mother as Jareth suspected, she would be pushing her pride away for the sake of the greater good. _

_Katherine took a deep breath before fully twisting around and jumping off the banister and onto the floor. She looked up at him as he approached until he was in front of her again._

_She swallowed, nervously before squaring her shoulders. "Did you mean it?"_

_Jareth conjured a crystal and began playing with it, appearing bored. "Mean what?"_

_Her eyes followed the ball for a few seconds, mesmerized before she shook her head, breaking from the spell. "When you said that you have a plan to rescue our parents from there!" _

_She pointed to the Moor Lands._

_"__I don't say things I don't mean," he replied._

_Jareth played with the crystal a little more before he threw it in the air. It popped like a bubble and glitter rained down on them. The trick had made the other princesses smile and giggle in delight and he hoped that it would do the same to this one. But, instead, Katherine looked annoyed as she furiously tried to shake the glitter from her braid. When that didn't work, she removed the ribbon tying her braid and shook them out of her hair. _

_He had never seen her without her braid. Her hair was wavy from it. But what caught his attention was seeing bits of blue peeking from beneath. He never noticed those before. _

_She caught him staring at her and began to look uncomfortable. "What?"_

_Jareth shrugged. "That blue in your hair, that's not natural."_

_Katherine picked up a piece of blue and smiled fondly at it. "Before… before all this… I begged my mom to let me get these done. It took weeks of convincing and begging dad for back-up until she finally agreed." She looked at him, the smile gone. "It makes me look silly, doesn't it?"_

_He shrugged again. "Looks perfectly fine to me."_

_"__Psh, you're just saying that."_

_"__I don't say things I don't mean," he repeated, inspecting his gloved hand, a little annoyed at her doubt. "So I meant what I said about your hair and I meant what I said about rescuing your parents. And if you let me, princess, I will help. Your parents were my friends too."_

_She looked guilty at that. She probably never thought about that._

_"__Katherine," she said._

_"__Hmm?" Jareth looked up._

_"__Call me Katherine. I'm still not used to this whole princess thing, your highness."_

_"__Please," he smirked. "Call me Jareth. May I?"_

_He gestured to her hand. Surprisingly, she gave it to him, but still looking wary. He took it and placed a chaste kiss on top of it._

_"__Now, I will help you on one condition," he said, releasing her hand._

_She nodded. "Anything within my power."_

_Jareth smirked. "I want only one thing. And that is for you to tell me why you have been acting like I murdered your puppy in cold blood."_

_"__Oh."_

_'__At least she has the decency to blush,' he thought to himself, proud at his trickery._

_Katherine bit her lip before turning back to the balcony. He joined her, conjuring another crystal and playing with it, spinning and juggling it as he patiently waited for her answer._

_"__I… have trust issues," she began, playing with her hands. She turned her head to look at him. "You're half Unseelie."_

_At that, Jareth closed his eyes, gripping the crystal tightly. Must everyone always hold that against him?_

_"__Does that matter?" he said, opening his eyes, but avoiding looking at her. He kept playing with his crystal. "My father is still King Oberon of the Summer Lands and Queen Titania is kind enough to acknowledge me as her son, even if her sister Mab of the Winter Lands was the one who birthed me." He flashed her a look. "You shouldn't be so judgmental."_

_He inwardly beamed when she flushed red as she tried to find her words._

_"__W-Well… I-I-I… gramps told us that story about how I almost got kidnapped after I was born," she continued. "They thought they could trust someone with such a delicate matter, but they were betrayed so… I'm just… I'm kind of… wary… of everyone I meet... I don't want a repeat of what happened…"_

_Jareth turned to face her sharply, feeling himself getting angry. Was she trying to purposely insult him?_

_"__I'm not an ordinary fae around here, little girl," he hissed, his hand crushing the crystal into nothing. "I've been your kingdom's ally for centuries. Your grandfather is an old friend of mine and so are your mothers. I've met and given my approval of your fathers." His voice was raising now. "I lent your kingdom my goblins to spy on the enemy! I've fought side-by-side with your soldiers in battle! And you dare insult me by insinuating that I could be like that poor excuse for a nanny who betrayed her kingdom for a few bags of gems?! I am no ordinary fae! I am the son of Oberon! I am a King!"_

_As his anger blazed, he almost missed the fear in her eyes as she backed away from him, clutching her skirts so tightly that the fabric began to wrinkle as her knuckles whitened. He soon realized that maybe showing her his bad side was not the best way to strike up an alliance. _

_Jareth willed himself to calm down, knowing that anger would not do in this situation. His temper had always been a real trouble for him. He should really learn to control it._

_"__I… apologize," he said, bowing to her. _

_Her fists relaxed and released her skirt. She was looking at him, still cautiously and Jareth inwardly hit himself. In the process in trying to get her to stop being wary of him, he had made her even more wary of him. _

_He sighed. "Princess Katherine, I simply wish to help. I have no ill intentions towards this kingdom or towards you."_

_"__G-Gramps also said that our other allies have abandoned us," she managed, still frozen in her place. "What makes me so sure you won't do the same?"_

_"__This war is nearing its one-hundredth anniversary and I haven't left yet," he said, calmly. "I only need you to trust me, princess. Trust me when I say that I will protect this kingdom as if it is my own. If you and your cousins and I work together, we can end this war once for all and bring back peace." He offered her a genuine smile. "I believe that when the time comes for you to be queen, you can maintain that peace."_

_Katherine blushed. "Queen… that thought will never sink in… I still can't even grasp the fact that I'm a freaking princess! I… I don't even know if I can do this…" She clutched tightly at her skirts again. "Before… before we entered the portal, my mom told me that I have to lead them, my cousins. Me… lead…" She chuckled, darkly and shook her head. "I can't even properly lead a group history project, much less lead a team of… magical warriors or whatever." She bit her lip, staring at the floor. "I can't do this… I'm not a leader… I'm not a queen…"_

_Jareth stood there, dumbfounded at her confession. It seems that her trust issues were not only with him or those she didn't know…_

_"__You don't trust yourself, do you?" he said, tilting his head to the side, a frown on his lips. "You don't think you can lead your cousins to victory and you don't think you can rule a whole kingdom. And if you can't even trust yourself to save your kingdom, how can you trust someone else to help you do it?"_

_She shrugged. Jareth shook his head and finally stepped over to her. He placed a gloved hand under her chin and raised her head. Her eyes met his and her brown orbs widened. He often got that reaction to his mismatched eyes and hers was no surprise. They were, after all, an Unseelie trait that he, unfortunately, inherited. He guessed that she never really noticed before. Too busy distrusting him to do so._

_"__Let me change our agreement," he said, smirking his Goblin King smirk. "In addition to not only rescuing your parents, which I was planning on doing anyway with or without your cooperation, if I help you control your magic, as well as teach you all you need to know about ruling a kingdom, will you trust me to help you end this war?" He dropped his hand and stepped away from her. "I know your grandfather must have gotten you tutors, but what better way to learn how to rule a kingdom than to learn from someone who actually has experience?"_

_"__So… that's all you want? My trust?" she asked, her eyes narrowing._

_"__I'd like a bit of respect as well. I do not enjoy being treated like an annoying goblin."_

_Her eyebrow raised in amusement. "You're the Goblin King."_

_"__Irrelevant." He waved a hand in dismissal. "Now, what say you, Princess Katherine?"_

_And for the first time since Jareth met her, her lips tilted up to a genuine smile that was thrown at him. "I told you to just call me Katherine. The whole princess thing is still weird." She lifted a hand towards him. "And… it's a deal."_

_They shook on it._

_"__And…. I'm sorry… for my behavior," she sheepishly added. "I can be a bitch… but I'm just really protective of my cousins and my grandfather and… pretty much this whole kingdom… I acted out of line and I sincerely apologize. I hope we can start over."_

_Jareth returned her smile. Finally. _

_He regally bowed to her. "Hello, I am Jareth, the Goblin King."_

_She giggled and curtseyed, a little clumsily. "Princess Katherine of the Nymph Kingdom, your majesty."_

_"__And honor, princess," he said, conjuring a crystal. He twisted his hand and the crystal turned into a red rose, which he offered to her. _

_She took it, smiling. "Thank you… Jareth."_

_He grinned at her. She looked much friendlier and less intimidating when she smiled. Not that Jareth was intimidated by her… not at all._

_"__Tomorrow, you can begin your magic lessons with me. I usually meet your cousins in the South Wing library after breakfast..."_

_"__So that's where they go," she muttered to herself._

_"… __but after lunch, we'll set aside some time for me to teach you basic fae politics. I'm only here for three more days before I have to depart, so we have a lot to work on. I will speak with your grandfather about it tomorrow."_

_"__And… rescuing our parents?" she asked, hopefully._

_"__We will discuss it with everyone tomorrow as well," he said. "Now…" He placed a hand behind her back and began to tow her back into the palace. "You should head back to bed. Do you not have guards that watch over your door?"_

_Katherine let out an un-ladylike snort. "Please Jareth, I'm not a child."_

_"__You technically are in fae years," he pointed out. He prodded her back to head towards the corridor where he knew the rooms of the princesses were located. "Good night princess."_

_She smirked at him. "See you tomorrow, Goblin King."_

_He watched as she disappeared down the hall before turning around and heading towards the guest corridors, mentally patting himself on the back at a job well done._


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth.

**A/N: I decided to continue this bit by bit, 'cause why the heck not? **

Katherine grunted at Jareth's heavy weight against her side, his arm slung over her shoulder and her one arm around his waist to keep him steady. On his other side, one goblin was standing on top of the other. Jareth's other arm was slung on his shoulders while the goblin on the bottom did all the walking.

It was a comical picture.

During their little heart-to-heart, Jareth had finished the bottle of wine, whereas Katherine only had the one glass and didn't even finish it. He ended up passing out on the floor where they had been sitting. So now, she and two of his goblins were helping the King to this chambers.

"L-Lady?" the bottom goblin said, panting due to the weight and the fact that they were still far from the royal bedchambers. "W-Why…n-not… u-use… m-magic?"

"Because," Katherine responded, struggling to keep Jareth's head from hitting hers. He was much taller than she was. "Your king and I got into a bit of a magic war long ago after we tried to out-prank each other. He shielded himself from my magic and I did the same to his. I removed my shield, but he is yet to do the same. I think he fears that I'll try to get revenge."

"S-So… n-no… m-magic… h-help…?" the goblin on top said, wheezing.

Katherine chuckled at his tone of devastation and the other goblin's groan. "I'm sorry dears. But I'll give you each a sweet after this, I promise."

They brightened up at the prospect of candy and didn't complain the rest of the way.

Finally, they reached his chambers. They ungracefully plopped the king onto the bed. He remained unconscious. Katherine reached into her pouch to grab two pieces of candy and gave them to the two goblins.

"Thank you both," she said, giving them a kind smile. "I'll take it from here."

The two thanked her before bowing and scampering out of the room. Meanwhile, Katherine turned back to Jareth, hands on her waist. She looked at him for a few moments and chuckled. He looked so silly at the moment, sprawled out like a child on his large, four poster bed. What she would give for a camera right now. She immediately got to work.

She removed his boots and placed them next to the bed before placing both his legs onto the bed. She then dragged the rest of his body upwards so she could lay his head on the pillow. Then, she tugged on the sheets from underneath him, careful not to lodge him too much so he wouldn't wake up. He remained snoozing throughout the whole thing. With a little effort, Katherine finally managed to get him under the covers and she tugged the comforter all the way under his chin, tucking him in. Weary from the work, she allowed herself to sit on her heels on the floor next to the bed.

For a few moments, she watched him sleep. She felt a little twinge on her chest as she admired the peaceful look on his face, but dismissed it quickly. His lips were parted and even though his breath smelled awful from the wine, Katherine felt her face lower, closer…

She snapped out of it and jumped up.

_Stop it Kate_, she thought to herself. _You're his best friend. Nothing more. Got that? Okay_.

Shaking her head free of the thoughts, she patted his shoulder gently before turning towards the large bay windows. It was past noon now, way past lunch, so the sun was shining brightly in the sky. She moved to close the curtains and did the same to the glass doors leading to the balcony, placing the room in a comforting darkness. Satisfied, she headed for the doors so she could leave him to rest and she could grab some lunch.

"Sarah…"

Katherine stopped and turned towards the bed. Did Jareth wake up?

Slowly, she approached him. No, he was still asleep. She should have figured… he did call for Sarah after all…

Katherine again felt that little ache in her chest. She had known about Sarah for a long time since she was 16 when Jareth had mentioned her in a conversation with her cousins. They had been telling him about their life Aboveground and somehow, she came up. It didn't bother Katherine then. In fact, she had been fascinated with the story.

Katherine closed her eyes, as she was assaulted by the memories.

_Jareth was visiting the Nymph Kingdom when news from his goblin spies informed them of a surprise attack by the Moorlanders on the small village near the borders in the next few weeks. They had all spent the day discussing evacuation plans for the residents and a surprise defense tactic. By dinner time, they were all exhausted with the planning. So the girls had invited Jareth to come into one of the sitting rooms with them to relax and tell stories._

_He had spent the most of it sitting on an armchair, his legs splayed carelessly on the arm, a hand twirling one of his crystals, listening to them. Their grandfather lightly dozed by the fireplace while Josephine sat on a stool by his feet, knitting quietly. Elizabeth was at the grand piano in the corner, plucking a few keys into a soothing melody. Meanwhile, the rest of them, Katherine, Jessica, and Annalise, were all sitting cross-legged on the floor in a semi-circle around Jareth. _

_Katherine had her sketchbook (that a nymph had kindly retrieved from her bedroom Above) and a piece of charcoal in her hands and was sketching the landscape outside the window behind Jareth, but her ears were open to the story as she contributed a sentence or two. At the moment, they were telling him about Derek Jacobson, an old classmate, who spent every waking hour of high school trying to get Elizabeth to go out with him and wouldn't take 'no" for an answer._

_"… __and that is why we all hate Derek Jacobson," Annalise finished telling the story to an amused-looking Jareth._

_"__Because he had fallen for Elizabeth?" he said, smirking devilishly._

_"__Because he was a jackass!" Jessica answered, defensively. "Forcing someone to love you by being a bully is not the way to go!"_

_Suddenly, Jareth's amused expression fell, a pained wince replacing it. The crystal dropped to the floor as his hand began to shake. Katherine caught the crystal as it rolled in her direction. She looked up at him, scanning his face. He didn't look so good._

_"__Jareth? Are you all right?" she asked, tentatively as she put her drawing things away._

_As quickly as it came, the pained expression left his face. He tried to smile, but it ended up as a grimace. The girls looked at each other, confused and worried. Even Elizabeth had stopped playing to glance at him and Josephine looked up from her knitting. _

_He laughed, but it sounded hollow. "I was just… remembering something."_

_"__What?" Annalise asked, curiously._

_"__It's nothing." He waved his hand in dismissal._

_"__You have a story don't you?" Josephine asked, looking excited as she put her knitting aside and walked over to where they were. "Please tell us!"_

_"__Josie!" Katherine scolded, flashing her a look. "We don't pry in other people's business." She turned to the Goblin King. "Sorry Jareth, don't mind her. You don't have to say anything."_

_Josephine let out a disappointed whine. The side of Jareth's lips twitched as he watched the young fae grumble that it wasn't fair. _

_"__Alright, I'll tell the story," he finally said._

_Katherine's eyes widened as Josephine whooped and plopped herself down between Annalise and Jessica. Elizabeth remained by the piano, but had turned her body fully around to watch Jareth._

_"__Are you sure, Jareth?" the shy blonde asked in a quiet voice. "We don't want to pry."_

_Katherine nodded in agreement. "You can totally ignore Josie, we all do when she says something stupid."_

_"__Hey!" the younger girl protested._

_Jareth simply chuckled as Katherine tossed the crystal back to him. He spun and juggled it, making them smile. Finally, he held it out to them and they peered into its surface. A shape was beginning to form. They saw a girl, a mortal girl. She had a heart shaped face, dark brown hair, and vibrant green eyes that reminded Katherine of emeralds. She was running in, what they assumed was Jareth's Labyrinth, a small dwarf beside her. _

_"__Her name is Sarah Williams," Jareth began in a solemn tone. "A mortal. Her head is constantly filled with stories and fantasies about our world and our people." A smile played on his lips, a soft smile of fondness that they have never seen graze the lips of the mischievous Goblin King. "And I loved her."_

_He told the story then of how he used to watch and observe her from the shadows when he visited the Aboveground... How her antics and passion for fairy tales amused him... How she wished away her brother and ran his labyrinth to get him back… How he did everything he could to make her fail so she could stay with him because he had unexpectedly fallen for her... How he offered her everything…_

_"__I begged her to fear me, love me, do as I say, and I would be her slave," Jareth said. "But she didn't understand. She only saw me as the villain. And so… she rejected me… told me I had no power of her… there is nothing else I can do… but only watch and long for her from afar."_

_Katherine felt something wet trickle down her cheek and she reached up to touch it. A tear. Beside her, Jessica's brows were furrowed in a frown. The younger girl refused to cry, but the red on her nose indicated that she was close to it. Annalise and Josephine were both freely crying and a sniffle was heard from Elizabeth. _

_"__Well, in her defense, asking her to do as you say doesn't sound very pleasant," Jessica said, quietly. "It was kind of creepy, Goblin King. No offense."_

_"__But he did say he would be her slave," the ever romantic Elizabeth pointed out. She was usually quiet, but when it came to matters of the heart, she had a lot to say. "It seemed like a fair deal to obey him if he promised to serve her as well." But then, she looked at Jareth with skepticism. "But then again, Jareth, you could have gone about it a different way. She was just a kid, like us. That whole phrase can be interpreted as either good or bad."_

_He nodded in understanding at her explanation. "I know that now. Even though I offered her everything, it was too much for someone as young as her to take in. And now, I have that to regret for the rest of my existence."_

_"__We're sorry, Jareth," Katherine said, reaching out to take his hand._

_He chuckled, darkly before patting her hand on his. "It's all in the past now. We must move on at some point."_

_"__But you haven't moved on yet… have you?" she said, morosely._

_"__Ahhh Katherine," he said. "So wise beyond your years."_

_He didn't answer her question at all. Instead, he released her hand before standing up. "Well, it's late now. You all should head to bed. Let's wake your grandfather shall we?"_

_The five girls could only watch as the Goblin King lost the spark in his steps that they had always known him for. And they all wondered what they could do to make him feel better._

Well, tried as they could to cheer him up, he wouldn't let them and avoided the subject each time they brought it up, pushing them further into their training and their studies. Eventually, they gave up and stopped asking, but they never forgot.

Besides, there had been other pressing matters that were more important that required their attention.

_The Moorlanders have been lying low for some months now. There had been no attacks on any of the villages and they seemed to have been holding back during the last battle, nearly three months ago. But despite this, King Atticus knew he wasn't supposed to let his guard down. And despite being in the midst of war, King Atticus still found it important to take some time out to hold court and listen to the concerns of his subjects.__ The young princesses were always found seated next to him, observing, taking notes, and sometimes offering their own thoughts. After all, when the time came, they would be the ones holding them, and the earlier they learned, the better._

_On that day, they were listening to an elder fae, a farmer, rant about how his neighbor's animals would come to his fields to eat his crops. He wanted compensation for the damages and his loss of profit. But before any of them could respond to his request, the doors to the throne room burst open and in came Jareth, adorned in black armor, two goblins at his heels._

_"__We found them," he stated, simply, stopping in front of the thrones next to the farmer._

_Surprised at his entrance, the royals didn't move. They hadn't known he was coming. That could either be a good thing or a bad thing._

_"__Them?" Atticus finally asked._

_"__Your daughters," the other responded, impatiently. "These two found the prison."_

_That immediately caused an uproar as their subjects began to talk and wail and some cheered. The royals were much too stunned to move. They haven't had news about the elder princesses and their husbands in close to a year now. _

_Katherine felt something drip down from her eyes to her cheeks. She knew she was crying and without needing to look, she knew her cousins and grandfather were feeling emotional as well._

_"__Court is done for today," her grandfather announced, standing up. "And I please ask you not to say a word of what you have heard today until everything has been confirmed."_

_"__Yes, your majesty," their subjects responded. _

_But everyone knew there was going to gossip going around and the royals were prepared for it. For now, there were more important matters at hand. _

_"__Armand?"_

_His royal adviser came rushing forward. "Yes, your majesty?"_

_"__Gather all the council members into the meeting room. We have important matters to discuss. Quickly now."_

_Armand rushed off as the guards herded their subjects out the door. _

_Atticus turned to Jareth. "Tell us everything you know when everyone has arrived. My granddaughters, do you wish to take part in the discussion?"_

_His question finally snapped them out of their daze and they all nodded. He always let them choose to attend council meetings if they so wished and they often did. Today, especially, was no exception._

_During the council meeting, Jareth relayed to them all the information his goblins told him. The princesses and their husbands were kept in an underground prison made from iron, the weakness of a fae. It weakened their magic and burned them when they touched it. Every day, they were pressed for information on the kingdom and on their daughters. They refused to speak so whippings for their fathers were initiated as their mothers watched. Josephine's mother, Diana, who had been gifted with the powers to heal, was using her gifts to heal their husbands, but her powers were draining due to the extent of the injuries, not to mention the effects of the iron._

_The five princesses tried to hold back their tears at this information, but could not do so. But no one was in an even greater despair than their grandfather, who was doing his best to remain strong. But, he was a father. And hearing how his daughters were suffering at the hands of the enemy drained him mentally and emotionally._

_But, Jareth had a plan. His goblins knew were the prison was and with just the right number of knights with him, he would be able to get them out._

_"__We'll help too," Jessica piped up. "They're our parents and we want to rescue them."_

_"__It's going to be dangerous, my lady," one of the councilmen pointed out. "Not to mention, you could be captured. You are the ones they want, not your mothers."_

_"__We don't care," the normally quiet Elizabeth spoke up. "We'll die trying."_

_"__Hopefully, it doesn't come to that," Annalise added quickly. "But my cousins are right. Our parents rescued us when they sent us through the gateway alone. It's our turn to save them."_

_Josephine nodded, lips quivering. "Please, let us go and get them back. We want our parents back."_

_Atticus turned to the eldest. "Katherine? Child, what is your view on this?"_

_Katherine had been staring at the table, unseeing. Jessica placed a hand on her arm. _

_"__Kate?"_

_She looked up, eyes blazing. _

_"__I agree. We're all going to save them and that is that. Our parents need us. We have been training with our magic and battle skills for ten months now. We're ready. This is not a matter to be discussed any further," she said, commandingly, surprising her cousins and the councilmen. _

_But, her grandfather looked worried. "Katherine-."_

_"__I know you're worried, grandpa," she said, turning to him. "But, Jareth will be there with us. I trust him to make sure we all get out of there alive. Right Jareth?"_

_She turned to the Goblin King, who looked extremely pleased at her. He nodded._

_"__My plan is simple," he said. "If all goes well, we will bring the princesses and their husbands home."_

_For the next few days, the girls trained with their weapons and practiced their magic day in and day out. Their tutelage in Underground politics was put on hold until the completion of the rescue mission._

_Three days later, accompanied by half a dozen knights, two goblin spies, and Jareth, they set off for the Moor lands. It was a three day journey on horseback through the lower town and the thick forest to get to the borders. From there, they cracked an opening in the shield. They left their horses and two knights there to guard and make sure no resident of the Moor lands found it. From there, they journeyed to the prisons. They couldn't use their magic for fear that their essence might alert the Unseelie. They avoided passing through the main town and the village, opting for a longer route through a forest and a dangerous cliff. _

_Finally, they reached the prison only a few hours before sunset on the third day. They knew they were there because why would there be guards keeping watch over an empty patch of land? There were only four guards. They suspected that the ruler of the Moor Lands didn't want to draw too much attention to the area by placing too many guards. Upon closer inspection, they discovered a trapdoor was hidden among the brown grass and the weeds. _

_It didn't take much to distract the guards. With a little make-up (courtesy of Elizabeth), change of clothes, a different colored contact on one eye that they "borrowed" from an Aboveground Optical clinic, and spray of Unseelie essence concocted by Jareth, Annalise managed to pass off as a seductive little Unseelie fae, who had taken a wrong turn on her way home. _

_For someone who happened to be the youngest among them, she was the most at ease using her feminine wiles to distract the guards and convince them to a drinking game. Seelie or Unseelie, fae loved games. Jareth had already placed a spell on Annalise so that no matter how much she drank, she remained sober._

_"__I'm a little uncomfortable watching this," Katherine muttered to Jareth from their hiding place in the forest. _

_They were watching Annalise laugh, flirt, and "drink" with the Unseelie guards. _

_Jareth chuckled. "What do you mean? She's a natural, the little minx."_

_Katherine flashed him a glare and elbowed his side. "Watch it old man, she's a child by fae and mortal standards."_

_Jareth only flashed her a teasing grin._

_At some point, while the guards were too distracted arguing with each other about who won the last round, Annalise managed to slip a few drops of a very potent sleeping potion into their glasses. Finally, after what felt like days of waiting, with the sun sinking in the horizon, the guards were knocked out, either by the alcohol or the sleeping potion. Either way, they didn't care. This was their chance._

_The goblins led them to the trapdoor. A stone staircase led down into a dark abyss. They left two more knights at the top to watch out for trouble and keep an eye on the guards in case they woke up. After reaching the bottom, they immediately felt the heaviness in the air. They felt weary all of a sudden. The fireball that Jessica had produced to give them light was weak so Jareth conjured a small lantern for it. The iron was working its magic… or rather, anti-magic. They felt exhausted just by being there. Nonetheless, they continued on until finally, they reached an occupied cell._

_The sight that greeted them haunted them all for the rest of their lives._

_Annalise's mother, Sophia was sitting against the wall, her husband Louis' head on her lap. Josephine's parents, Diana and Geoffrey were in a similar position. Meanwhile, Elizabeth's parents, Myrtle and Orpheus, were sitting side-by-side, her head on his shoulder and he was humming to her, softly. Belinda, Jessica's mother, was fast asleep on Minerva, Katherine's mother's lap. Their fathers, Aldrin and Philip, were sitting against the wall, quietly watching their wives._

_The five girls stood frozen in place. To say that their parents looked worse for wear was an understatement. They looked like they went to hell and back and went to hell again. They were still wearing the same clothes they had been wearing above, thought dirtier and torn in some places. And they were skinnier than the girls remembered. Even through the dim light, they could see that their parents' skin looked gray and sick. Their fathers' shirts were bloody, bits and pieces of their mothers' clothing covering the deep wounds that they knew were there. Meanwhile, their mothers sported dark circles under their eyes._

_Katherine could feel the rage bubble inside her and the tears prickle her eyes. These Moorlanders would pay for what they did to their beloved parents._

_They must have noticed the light since the ones awake looked up. At first, all they could do was stare, as they shook awake the ones who had been resting._

_Elizabeth was the first to react. "Mommy! Daddy!"_

_She rushed over to the cell doors._

_"__No, wait, Bessie, don't-," Myrtle began to say, but it was too late._

_Elizabeth had already wrapped her hands around the metal bars of the cell. Not even a second later, she jumped back hissing, tears springing in her eyes as she looked at the burning flesh of her hands. Jareth was immediately at her side, wrapping a cloth around her hands._

_"__J-Jareth?" the older princesses whispered, in disbelief._

_Jareth flashed his old friends a grin. "Nice to see you after all these years. I've had the honor of meeting all of your spawn. They're quite lovely. A job well done."_

_For what was the probably the first time since their capture, their parents smiled. The other girls finally approached the cells, frustrated that they couldn't get closer for the risk of getting burned. Not to mention, they could feel themselves getting weaker by the second. _

_"__Mom… Dad…" Katherine murmured, longing to feel her mother and father's hug once more._

_Her father smiled at her. "Hey, kiddo. You shouldn't have come."_

_"__But we had to," Jessica answered. She glared at her father, Aldrin, who chuckled weakly. "You guys have a lot of explaining to do. How could you not tell me that I'm a prissy little princess, dad?"_

_Aldrin smiled. "Not prissy, sport. Just a princess. It's your mother here that's prissy."_

_In any other circumstance, they knew Belinda would have slapped Aldrin's head. But at the moment, she simply glared at him like her daughter did. _

_"__I am not prissy!" she protested._

_"__Mommy, daddy, I missed you," Josephine whispered, openly crying._

_"__Me too," Annalise agreed, holding on to the older girl._

_"__We missed you too, honey," Diana said, moving closer to the cell bars. _

_"__But we wanted you all safe," Sophia said. "You shouldn't have come."_

_Meanwhile, Minerva was looking at Jareth, looking a little annoyed. "How could you bring them here, Jareth? This is the last place we want them to be in!"_

_Jareth snorted. "Your spawns are all stubborn, just like all of you. Especially the eldest." _

_He moved to the cell door and tried to open it with his magic. It didn't budge. _

_"__As I suspected, the doors will not bend to our magic," he announced. _

_"__So now what?" Katherine asked, frustrated._

_"__So, time for plan B. Jessica?"_

_The girl nodded and handed her lantern to one of the knights. She approached the cell and crouched in front of the keyhole._

_"__What are you doing?" Belinda demanded. "Jessie, you are not doing what I think you're doing."_

_"__It's the only way, mother," she responded, opening the satchel around her waist. _

_She pulled out a pair of leather gloves made from dragon hide. They hadn't tested out their potency against iron yet, but they were about to find out. After she put them on, she pulled out a lock-picking kit that she never went anywhere without._

_"__Can't believe you brought that thing in a magical land," Elizabeth commented, watching Jessica work._

_"__Hey, magic has its limits too," Jessica answered, her brow furrowed in concentration. "We gotta do things the mortal way sometimes. I need more light here!"_

_The guard moved to shine the lantern above her._

_Meanwhile, Katherine stared at her mother, who stared back._

_"__Mom…"_

_Minerva smiled. "Katherine… I'm so proud of you."_

_Her eyes widened. "I haven't done anything," she stammered. "This is all Jareth's idea."_

_"__That you insisted to the council that you be allowed to be a part of," Jareth added, placing a hand on her shoulder. "This one has the makings of a good queen, Minerva. All of them do."_

_Belinda smirked at him. "They're ours after all."_

_"__Aha! Got it!" _

_The door swung open and the girls wasted no time rushing into the cell to hug their parents. Tearful "I miss you's" and "I love you's" were all they could utter in the moment. Kisses and hugs were exchanged between each family member. They had allotted only a limited number of time for this moment, but they found that they could not let go of each other._

_Jareth cleared his throat. "As touching as this little reunion is, we have to get going."_

_Their parents were all weak, they soon discovered as the girls helped them out of the cell. They were carrying not only physical scars, but mental and emotional ones as well. Their fathers were all severely injured and Josephine's mother was too weak to walk on her own. It was a trying and slow process, but they managed to get them up the staircase. When they reached the top, the guards were still asleep. They escaped into the forest._

_Their journey was slower than before. With their fathers' injuries, they couldn't move as fast. It would only be a matter of time before someone found out and raised the alarms. Hopefully, before that happened, they would be past the border._

_On day three of their journey, as they were resting, Katherine approached Jareth, who was in a conversation with her mother. They fell silent as she neared them. _

_"__Mom, can I talk to Jareth real quick?" she asked._

_Minerva nodded and stood up. She stepped over to Katherine and kissed her forehead, gently._

_"__I love you, Katherine," she whispered into her hair before walking away._

_Jareth looked harried. His hair, though usually an untamed mane, was wilder than normal. Dark bags were under his eyes, and he looked worried._

_"__Jareth, if we move in this pace, we might not make it," Katherine said, sitting next to him. "I'm worried about our Dads and Aunt Diana. They need medical treatment."_

_"__Don't you think I know that?" he snapped. _

_She glared at him in response. "I'm just saying that… I think… you need to transport them near the borders-."_

_"__Are you trying to have us found out, girl?" Jareth hissed. "Just like how your land has alarms that detect the essence of Unseelie magic, this land might have the same spell guarding it. Sure, my magic has some Unseelie essence, but it has Seelie essence too! We can't take that risk."_

_"__But it's the only way we can get there faster!" Katherine insisted. "It will be fine. If the alarms do go off, my cousins and I will hold them off while you and the guards get our parents to the borders-."_

_"__Are you trying to commit suicide? You can't face an army just the five of you!"_

_"__It will give us more time-."_

_"__No. I won't do it." _

_Jareth stood up and walked away from her. She followed, grabbing his arm._

_"__Jareth, please!"_

_"__No."_

_"__We need to get them to safety."_

_"__And we will. My way. Not yours. You are not going to kill yourself."_

_"__We won't. We'll just give you more time."_

_He let out a frustrated sigh. "You know that I always value your opinion, but this is a delicate matter. Things have a fifty-fifty chance of going wrong and I can't have you putting yourselves in that kind of danger. I will not allow it."_

_"__But-."_

_"__End of discussion, Katherine."_

_He broke free of her hold and walked away from her._

_But she didn't give up. The next day, she goaded him, pleaded with him. bargained with him. When she realized he wasn't going to budge, she told her cousins about her plan. They were wary of it, expressed their doubts, but agreed to help her convince Jareth. And convince him, they did. For what fight did Jareth have against five stubborn princesses, who refused to leave him alone until they got what they wanted?_

_Their parents were against the idea. But the girls had made up their minds. And since stubborn parents and stubborn children trying to find a compromise almost always never find one, so much time was wasted. Finally, the parents agreed to the transportation spell only if Jareth transported the girls with them. _

_Since being with the knights and the goblins made them too many to cast the spell on without it being too conspicuous, Jareth was going to transport them by small groups. He transported the knights and the goblins first. He sent a crystal with them to transport one goblin back to let them know if the coast was clear. They were taking a risk, a giant risk._

_After the knights and goblins were gone, they waited with bated breath. After some time waiting, a goblin returned to let them know it was all fine. They lined up by families._

_Katherine and her parents were the last in line. As they watched Annalise and her parents disappear first, Minerva turned to her._

_"__No matter what happens today, your father and I want you to know how much we love you," she said, bringing her close for a hug._

_"__And that we are proud of you," Phillip added, wrapping his arms around the both of them._

_"__Stop talking like this is the last time we'll see each other," Katherine scolded, teasingly. "When we get back, we're going to get dad patched up and as soon as this whole thing is over, mom can take her place as queen. Gramps said he's ready to retire."_

_Minerva's eyes began to mist. "Tell him we love him," she said. "And that you will make a wonderful queen."_

_"__Tell him yourself, mom. And I'm not going to be queen. You are."_

_"__Minerva, Philip, Katherine, you're next," Jareth said a few moments after Jessica and her parents disappeared._

_They stepped up next to him, but then… Katherine stopped. She was feeling something at the back of her neck. Something was… off. Katherine stepped away._

_"__Transport them first," she said to Jareth._

_He raised an eyebrow at her. _

_"__Do it."_

_"__Katherine-," her mother protested._

_"__Jareth, now."_

_The Goblin King sighed and threw the crystal at her parents' feet. They disappeared, their protests fading along with them. Katherine turned her head this way and that, trying to pinpoint exactly where the strange shift in the air was coming from. She felt surrounded by it._

_"__Katherine? What's wrong?" Jareth asked. "I have the final crystal for us both. Come-."_

_He stopped talking. Katherine knew that he felt what she felt too. They both unsheathed their swords, looking around, their eyes alert. Katherine stepped up next to him. Jareth was about to shatter the crystal at their feet when a dark figure darted out from the trees and tackled him. He kicked it off of him and slashed at it. More figures came out of the trees and wasted no time in attacking them._

_Katherine raised her sword to block the weapons coming at her. Using what she learned from the air nymphs back at the kingdom, she called on the wind to push the enemies away from her as she blocked and parried. Though skilled, she still was not a warrior. She tripped on a rock and fell back onto the grass. An enemy loomed over her, sword raised, ready to strike._

_"__Katherine!" _

_Jareth's sword impaled the fae and he kicked the dying body aside. He grabbed her by the wrist to pull her up to her feet. Both continued to block and slash, but there were too many. As they stood back-to-back, Jareth conjured a crystal and threw it in the air. It exploded and the enemy fae shrinked back in fear. He took that chance to grab her by waist and quickly threw another crystal at the ground. _

_Katherine felt a pull and her head began spinning. A few seconds later, she finally felt the ground at her feet, but she still felt dizzy and swayed. _

_"__Katherine!" her parents' voices brought her to her senses._

_Jareth was looking towards the distance and Katherine finally saw the horde. An army of Unseelie soldiers were coming at them. Too many for their small party to fight. So they had no other choice but to flee the remaining distance towards the border._

_"__Jareth! The girls!" she heard Belinda's voice._

_"__Make sure the girls are safe!" That was Aldrin. _

_Minerva grabbed Katherine's arm and pulled her into a run, the rest following behind. She pushed her daughter ahead of her._

_'__I'm so stupid,' Katherine thought to herself, trying to stop the tears threatening to fall as they ran. 'I'm so freaking stupid!'_

_It wasn't until they were almost to the border and could see the crack in the shield that Katherine realized that her mother was no longer behind her. She slowed down to turn her head to see that their parents had all stopped running. _

_Her cousins must have realized this too since they all slowed. Without even thinking about it, they all began to turn back towards their parents. To their surprise, the knights and Jareth grabbed them and began to pull them away and towards the borders._

_"__What are you doing?!" Katherine screamed, struggling to break free from Jareth's hold._

_"__We have to get back to them!" Jessica was fighting the knight holding her._

_"__Our dads! We need to help them move!" Annalise was crying and struggling._

_"__Let us go!" Josephine was trying to kick the knight who had his hands wrapped around her arm, pulling her away._

_"__Mom! Dad!" Elizabeth called, desperately trying to pull away from the knight holding her._

_They didn't know how, maybe it was a combination of adrenaline and their own determination, but they managed to break free of Jareth and the knights and ran back to their parents again. They would get to them. They would fight that whole army if they had to. But just as they neared them, they saw their parents raising their hands to the air. _

_The girls fell back with a sudden jolt. Confused but undeterred, they tried to run forward again, but were once again thrown back. Something was blocking them._

_"__What… what is this thing?" Annalise whimpered, her lip trembling._

_Katherine raised her own hands to touch whatever it was in front of her. Her hand connected with something solid, but nothing was there._

_"__A shield," she realized, eyes wide at the realization of what their parents had done. "They made a shield!"_

_They began pounding on it, desperate to crack it._

_"__We're sorry, our darlings," Minerva called to them, tears streaming down her cheeks._

_"__But this is the only way to keep you safe," Belinda added._

_"__We love you all so much," Myrtle said, her hands in her mouth._

_"__But you must return to the kingdom," Diana continued, also crying._

_"__Tell your grandfather we love him," Sophia said. "And that we're sorry we couldn't make it home."_

_The girls were freely crying now. This was not how things were supposed to go. They were all supposed to go home and live happily ever after. They weren't supposed to lose their parents!_

_"__Our daughters," Minerva called again, smiling despite her tears. "Bring back peace to the land. Do not let our sacrifice be in vain."_

_Jareth was suddenly beside Katherine, trying to pry her hands off the offending shield._

_"__Jareth," Philip called out, his hand clasping his wife's. "Take care of our daughters."_

_"__Make sure they remain strong," said Aldrin._

_"__Teach them everything they need to know about ruling a kingdom," said Orpheus._

_"__Make them the rulers that they were always destined to be," added Geoffrey._

_"__And please protect them for us," finished Louis. _

_Jareth stiffened beside Katherine before nodding at his old friends. A tear slid down his cheek. _

_"__I will not fail you all," he promised. "They are in good hands."_

_For the last time, they saw their parents smile._

_"__Darlings," Myrtle said. "Close your eyes, fall asleep, and dream happy dreams. For the darkness will cease as long as we are always right here." She placed a hand over her heart. "And we will never leave."_

_Their eyes widened. They all knew the phrase, they all grew up with it. Those were words their mothers used to say to them whenever they had nightmares. And this… surely, this was just a nightmare? And they would wake up tomorrow and all would be well. Right?_

_Behind their parents, the army was fast approaching, their mismatched eyes rabid with desire for blood. The girls pounded even more on the shield, but they knew it was in vain. _

_With their husbands right behind them, the Nymph sisters held hands. Light began to emit from those entwined hands as nature around them responded to their command. The wind blew stronger, lightning flashed in the sky, the trees loomed higher, water came rushing out of the ground, and several bushes caught on fire. _

_Jessica screamed every curse word known to man and fae, while banging on the shield._

_"__What are they doing?! What are they doing?!" Annalise repeated like a mantra, slashing at the shield with her dagger, to no avail._

_Josephine continued to call for their parents, her hands in fists against the shield. Elizabeth sobbed, dejectedly on the ground, hands on the shield, as if hoping it would melt away with her touch. Katherine continued to pound on the shield, screaming and begging until her throat was raw. _

_The light grew… became blinding until their parents were almost completely covered in the light._

_Before Katherine knew what was happening, Jareth had grabbed her and spun them around, burying her head into his chest, away from the blinding light. She struggled against him, but he tightened his hold. In the corner of her eye, she could see that the knights had done the same to her cousins. _

_And suddenly… it ended. There was only silence._

_She broke away from Jareth… turned around…_

_She felt herself falling on her knees to the ground. Her screams of agony filled the air._

_She didn't know how, but Jareth and the knights had managed to get her and her cousins out of there, kicking and screaming and sobbing._

_The funeral took place three days later. Jareth had sent his goblins to retrieve the bodies. They were taken care of and prepared for the final rites. Fae royals and nobles from all over the Underground flocked to the Nymph Kingdom to pay their respects to the fallen fae and to offer their condolence to the grieving land. _

_The remaining royal family and their subjects gathered at the ancient river behind the castle, where legend said the first nymphs had come to rest and decided to build a settlement by. It was said that this river, among many all over the Underground, led to the land of Elysium, where their spirits could rest in peace for all eternity._

_The bodies were dressed in the finest clothing of silk and satin. Circlets of gold and expensive jewels adorned their heads, marking them as royalty. They were placed in elaborate boats made of cypress and elder, built by the wood and forest nymphs. Flower nymphs wove garlands of lilies and bluebells along with flowers only native to the Underground and placed these around the boats. _

_King Atticus Jove grieved openly as he said his last good-byes to his daughters and son-in-laws. His granddaughters stayed by his side, trying to remain strong despite their own tear-stained faces and aching hearts._

_When the final rites were said, King Atticus bent over each body to place a kiss on their brow and whisper a blessing into each lifeless ear. With his two eldest granddaughters supporting him on either side, as he could no longer stand by himself, they watched as the river nymphs pushed the boats onto the water and waded alongside them, making sure they stayed on course for Elysium._

_Soon, the ten shapes disappeared in the horizon. The mourners began to leave the site, leaving the royal family to grieve, silently. _

_Katherine blamed herself. Everyone kept telling her that it wasn't her fault that her plan had failed. But it was her fault. If she had only stuck to Jareth's plan… if she had only listened to him…_

_Since the funeral, she hadn't left her rooms. In fact, she had confined herself there for three days. She didn't even bother getting out of bed. No one questioned her actions. They simply brought her meals, but she hardly ate. Although she remained in bed, she never slept, preferring to stare at the wooden roof of her four-poster bed. Whenever she did close her eyes, all she could hear was the screaming, then the bright light, and her own voice begging for her parents to let the shield down. She always woke up screaming right after._

_On the fourth day, she heard a knock on her bedroom door, but did not acknowledge it. It was most likely Sandra, her handmaid, coming to bring her lunch. The door opened, but instead of Sandra, Jareth came in, carrying a tray containing a porcelain pot, an empty bowl, a jug, and an empty crystal goblet. He approached the table in her bedroom and clucked his tongue disapprovingly at the bowl of porridge that she barely touched that morning. _

_"__You're wasting food," he stated, placing the tray on the table._

_Katherine simply turned on her side, away from him._

_"__Your grandfather and your cousins are worried," he continued. "They're grieving too, you know. But they're not imprisoning themselves in their rooms like you are. Annalise and Jessica are releasing their anger and grief through target practice. Elizabeth and Josephine spend their time with your grandfather. And you are here, in the solitude of your bedroom, refusing to eat. When was the last time you even slept?"_

_She heard his words, but did not turn to look at him. She couldn't face him, not after what she did. She heard his footsteps approach her, so she lifted the covers over her head, shielding herself from him._

_"__Stop being childish, Katherine," he scolded, trying to tug the covers off of her._

_She held on to them tightly. When he realized that she wasn't going to budge, he sighed loudly. She heard the scraping of a chair and him sitting down. He remained quiet for a few moments, as she began to sob. Heart-wrenching sobs that made her body tremble in grief. She felt a hand on her back, trying to sooth her._

_"__It wasn't your fault," he said, rubbing gentle circles._

_"__Yes it was!" she replied, her voice muffled by the sheets. _

_"__My plan was not foolproof. I told you that. Anything could have gone wrong."_

_"__I should have listened to you. I shouldn't have suggested that stupid plan. I should have let you handle it."_

_"__We learn from mistakes."_

_"__This was one mistake that should never have been made!"_

_She finally emerged from the sheets and slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position. The tears were endless and Jareth only sent her a look of sympathy. _

_"__If it wasn't for me, they'd still be alive," she whispered. _

_Jareth shook his head. "No. It was their time. Nothing could be done."_

_At that statement, her eyes blazed in anger as she brushed his hand away from her back. "That's not true! How could you say that?!" She let out a choking sob. "They could have lived! It was my fault everything went wrong!"_

_But Jareth shook his head again. He reached over and took her hand in his. When she refused to look at him, he placed his fingers underneath her chin to lift her head. Her eyes were still downcast._

_"__It was not your fault," he stated again. When she remained silent, he sighed, heavily. "Do you know about your mother's other gift? Her gift of foresight?"_

_Slowly, Katherine nodded. "Gramps said that she passed it on to me when I had that vision of us being attacked at Annie's."_

_"__Your mother had a vision," he said, dropping his hand from her chin. _

_Finally, she looked up, eyes wide at the information. His face was calm, his gaze piercing into hers. He wasn't lying._

_"__That day, before you told me of your plan, she talked to me. She's had the vision for some days already and knew that their death was coming. They were all prepared for it. She asked me to take care of all of you. She made me swear to the gods that no matter what, I was to make sure you and your cousins made it out of that place alive. And she made me swear not to tell any of you before it happened. And I am telling you now because you must stop blaming yourself for something that fate had already set in stone. You know by now that no matter how much you stop your visions from coming true, they will come into fruition one way or another. Your parents knew they were going to die, but they wanted to see you all to safety before it happened. They sacrificed their lives for the sake of you and your cousins bringing back peace one day. Do not let their deaths be in vain, Katherine."_

_He allowed his words to sink in. And sink in they did. Katherine cried into her hands. Cried because she couldn't save her parents from their fate. Cried because they would never be a family again. Cried because they were not going to see her be queen someday. Cried because she would never feel her mother's warm hugs or hear about her father's never-ending faith in her. Cried because fate was so cruel to them._

_Through her sobs, she heard Jareth sigh as he placed a comforting hand on her back, rubbing soothingly. When she had cried her fill and her sobs reduced to soft hiccups, he let go of her._

_"__Come outside, you need to eat," he goaded her. _

_She nodded._

_Slowly, he helped her out of bed and wrapped her dressing robe around her shoulders. With his arms around her waist, he led her out into her sitting room and sat her down on the table, before returning to the bedroom. He came back with the tray of food and placed it in front of her. Without a word, the Goblin King lifted the lid off the pot and ladled stew into the bowl provided. _

_For the first time, the aroma of food made Katherine's stomach rumble in hunger. She watched as Jareth scooped meat and vegetables into the bowl and placed it in front of her._

_"__Eat," he simply said, taking the seat next to her._

_Slowly, she took the spoon and lifted the stew into her mouth. The sweet and salty taste overwhelmed her senses. She began to cry again, but continued to eat._

_Jareth simply watched her sob as she ate. And when she finished everything in the pot as well as a goblet of water, he helped her to her feet once more and led her back to bed. He tucked her in._

_"__I hope you join us for dinner tonight," he said to her, patting her hand. "Your cousins are worried."_

_He removed a glove and placed a hand on her forehead and immediately, Katherine began to feel drowsy. Before she could thank Jareth for his kindness, she fell into a dreamless sleep._

Katherine remembered the events of that time liked it happened yesterday. She could never truly forget. She still had nightmares about their parents' death. She could still vividly remember the look of fear yet pride on their faces.

Jareth had left five days after the funeral to return to the Goblin Kingdom, but while he was still in the Nymph Kingdom, he had comforted her and her cousins in the best way he could. That was the first, and only time, they had seen Jareth act the way he did. He brushed away their tears, made them laugh, and even just listened to them as they talked about how they felt. They knew he wasn't the caring type, so to see him acting the way he did meant a lot to them.

Tentatively, Katherine reached out and brushed a stray piece of golden blonde hair away from his face. Her eyes took its fill of his pale features… the fae markings above his eyes… the slender nose… his pink lips…

Jareth was a handsome man, she couldn't deny that. He was a fair and just ruler… and a loyal friend.

Yet, he wasn't without flaws. He was arrogant and thought himself the best of the best. He had a temper that could rival a storm. Katherine had almost fled from him in terror when she encountered it the first time. He, to her surprise, apologized right after. Over the years, she had learned to stand up to Jareth when he got too much, like today when he nearly choked her. She and her cousins learned not to tolerate his abusive actions. At first, their defiance had angered him, but that anger eventually turned to respect. He also tended to treat them like children, simply because of their age in comparison to him. But, they had surprised him again, by acting like adults when the need arose. Of course, they were still children at heart, and that would never change. Even Jareth acted like a child sometimes. But they knew when it was time to act their age. They had, after all, managed to prove to the High Fae Court that they were capable of running a kingdom despite being children by fae standards.

But, Jareth also had his admirable qualities. He had been there for her through the good and bad. He had showed them the tricks he did with his crystals because he knew it amused them. He took the time to get to know each of them, their strengths and their weakness, what pleased them and what ticked them off. He had gone through battle plans with them, always asking their opinions and never dismissing their ideas as childish, like the other generals they had come to work with did. He even involved himself in their training with weapons, magic, and politics. They had earned his respect, but he had also earned theirs.

Out of the five, Katherine was the closest to Jareth. She was the one who spent the most time with him, talked to him about anything and nothing, complained to him, teased him, told him her secrets that she never told her cousins (for example, how much she didn't like Josephine's peanut butter cookies, but pretended to like them anyway so she wouldn't hurt her feelings), and had made him admit secrets he never told anyone else (like the time he put on Titania's jewelry out of curiosity when he was a young prince and had tried to pierce his own ears so he could wear the earrings… she always teased him about that). Which was the reason why he had chosen her to come to the Goblin Kingdom to help aid with the renovations.

He was a true friend.

Of course, Jareth did not realize how much this friendship meant to Katherine. In fact, the feelings of friendship she felt for the Goblin King had blossomed into something more. She knew it was foolish. He was as old as their parents and he still saw her as a child.

It was in these last few months living with him, that she had finally admitted to herself what her cousins had teased her about for ages… what she had ignored because it was silly and impossible.

She had feelings for Jareth. She didn't know how it happened or even why. She just did.

And she knew that there was no way in the Underground could he return those feelings. Besides, he was hopelessly in love with Sarah… only Sarah… and it ached her every time she remembered.

Katherine first felt that ache, three years after the war between the Nymph Kingdom and the Moor lands ended. She and her cousins had been living Aboveground and were in college. Jareth came to visit them.

_It was midterm season and Katherine was in the crowded University library, sitting at a table she had reserved two weeks before, surrounded by political science textbooks and worksheets. _

_If she was going to be a good ruler in the Underground, she was going to make some changes in the old-fashioned system established by her predecessors. Although American law and politics were completely different from Underground law and politics, a little basis for comparison wouldn't hurt. _

_Atticus had been King for more than a millennium, the 5__th__ ruler of the Nymph Kingdom. The previous ruler, a fae by the name of Alvar, had been fond of him. Alvar, like the rulers before him, was unlucky and had produced no heirs. He found it difficult maintaining all the gateways in the Underground and with no heir to help, the task was too overwhelming. As a young fae from a noble family, Atticus had been sent to help. Alvar, apparently still overwhelmed by the duties that came with being King, decided to abdicate and name the young fae his heir. Shortly after Atticus was crowned, Alvar disappeared and has not been heard from since. Meanwhile, Atticus proved himself a capable ruler, married a common forest nymph, and was blessed with five children. A rare feat. Fae had difficulty producing children and those with more than one child was so very rare. Atticus was blessed. Or was that fate's doing? _

_Katherine didn't really know anymore. All she knew was that when she ascended her grandfather in a few years, Katherine was going to be the 6__th __ruler, not to mention the youngest ever heard of in the Underground. And she was going to make a good lasting impression on the High Fae Court, even if she died trying. _

_She had been in the library for approximately 10 hours and 25 minutes when she got the call from Josephine. She flipped the cellphone open._

_"__Josie, I told you, I'm not gonna be back until really late tonight," she whispered into the phone, her eyes scanning the case study in front of her._

_"__But Kate, you have to get back to the apartment now!" the younger girl squealed, excitedly. "We have a surprise visitor!"_

_Katherine groaned. "If it's Tom again, tell him I'm not interested and that the last two weeks were a big joke."_

_"__Pfft, as if we would let that guy near you again after what he pulled," Josephine replied. "No, this is a good thing. Please."_

_"__Why can't you just tell me right now?"_

_"__It's a surprise! Come home, please?"_

_Katherine sighed and marked her page before closing the book. "Fine, I'll head back."_

_"__Yay!" Josephine squealed. "Oh, can you pick up some Chinese on the way? The usual is fine."_

_Katherine rolled her eyes. "Fine. The things I do for you guys."_

_After they hung up, Katherine marked all her books and stuffed her worksheets and handouts into her several folders before stuffing them into her book bag along with pencils and a bunch of highlighters. She shoved the textbooks into a tote bag. Making sure she had everything, she put on her coat, left the library, and headed for the parking lot to her car._

_It had been eight years since the war ended. The death of the Royal princesses and their husbands seemed to be the push that the other Underground kingdoms needed to realize how futile this war was and how it needed to end. So with their help in the form of monetary and miliary aid, the Nymph Kingdom finally defeated the Moor lands. The the fae behind everything, a traitor by the name of Warren, an ex-Captain of the Guard for the High Royal Family, was captured and tried in front of the Seelie High Fae Court. Their suspicions had been correct. The plan to take over the Nymph Kingdom was concocted by a group of Unseelie fae, led by Warren, because they had had fallen out of Queen Mab's favor. They thought that by taking over the Nymph Kingdom and possessing the keys to the gateways Aboveground, they would please her and win them her favor again. Apparently, all they did was deplete the funds given to them by the Unseelie High Fae Court. Mab had lost all interest in them towards the end of the war, didn't even try to fight to get them back during the trial. So they were all banished to somewhere called Dead Man's Land. Katherine didn't know where or what that was, but didn't want to find out. The peace that her parents had sacrificed their lives for had finally arrived. _

_Well, after all that, her grandfather was just about ready to step down and hand over the throne to her, since she was the eldest. Her cousins of course would be her regents and would help her run the kingdom. But, the five of them had other ideas. They asked to return to the Aboveground to finish their schooling and… well… to find out if ruling a kingdom was really what they wanted. With a heavy heart, but not wanting to force them to do something they didn't want to do, Atticus allowed them to go back. They were 16 when they first arrived in the Underground. They were 20 years old when they left it. They had missed so much of high school, but their grandfather found a way to make it as if time had never passed Above since they left. They finished the last two years of high school, pretending to be younger than they actually were and wearing a glamour to conceal the fae features that marked them when they arrived in the Underground. At the moment, they were supposed to be 19 years old and sophomores in college. It helped being princesses to a fairy kingdom. There was no need to take out loans to pay the tuition fees and the bills. The gold and rare gems, the Underground currency, were enough for that._

_Arriving at her building, Katherine summoned a little bit of her wind magic to help her carry her bags as well as the box containing two paper bags of Chinese take-out up to the apartment she shared with her cousins. The place was decently-sized with three bedrooms, a living room, two bathrooms, and a kitchen. It was close to campus and allowed them to commute, rather than dorm and be stuck with strangers, who would probably freak out from all the magic they did behind closed doors. _

_Katherine unlocked the front door and pushed it open. "I'm home."_

_She finally dispelled the glamour surrounding her and instantly felt better. Wearing a glamour was tedious and it always made her feel like she should be ashamed of her true self. She didn't know how her parents managed it for years. Besides, she really liked her pointed ears._

_"__Kaaaate!" Josephine sung as she darted from the kitchen and grabbed the box of take-out. "Guess who's here?"_

_"__I don't know," Katherine responded, placing her tote bag and book bag on the couch. She shrugged off her coat and threw it over the couch and rubbed her aching shoulders. "You wouldn't tell me."_

_"__The least you can do is guess," said a new but familiar voice, teasingly._

_Katherine gasped as she turned towards the kitchen door and saw a smirking Jareth, leaning against the frame. He was clad in his casual Underground attire: flowing white poet's shirt (open at the chest, of course, showing off his royal medallion), brown breeches (tight and snug, just the way he liked it), and black leather boots (perfectly shined without a mark in sight). _

_"__Jareth!" Katherine bolted over to him, forgetting her exhaustion and aching shoulders. _

_Smiling widely, she wrapped her arms around his neck, tip-toeing slightly. He was much taller than she. His hug was as warm as she remembered and he smelled the same: earthy and magical with a hint of peach. He was always so fond of those fruits._

_"__It's good to see you, Katherine," he told her after they pulled away. He look her over before wrinkling his nose. "What on earth are you wearing?"_

_Katherine looked down at her faded jeans, mud-caked sneakers, and the University sweatshirt that she had been wearing for a full week. _

_"__Um… clothes?"_

_He raised his eyebrows._

_"__Give me a break, it's midterm week!" she defended, heading into the kitchen where Josephine was setting the table. "Besides, the other four girls in this apartment are wearing the same thing."_

_"__Not true," Josephine said, gesturing to her outfit. "I'm wearing a shirt."_

_Katherine rolled her eyes at the younger girl's gray long-sleeved Hello Kitty shirt. "Like what you're wearing is any better. Anyway, where's everyone else?"_

_"__Oh, Jessie and Bess went to the store to buy some drinks 'cause we ran out. Annie just got back from her meeting right before you did and is changing in our room." She stared at the coffee stain on the older girl's sweatshirt. "Kate, gross. How long have you been wearing that thing? Look, throw it in the hamper. I'll wash it tomorrow. It's my turn to do laundry."_

_"__You know, it is pretty warm in here," Katherine observed, pulling the sweatshirt's sleeves up to her elbows. "They actually turned on the heater?"_

_"__Nah, Jareth made it warm."_

_Katherine turned to him. "Really? Thanks. The landlords don't seem to realize that autumn means the weather is getting colder."_

_Jareth regally sat down on one of the chairs. "I don't understand why you all are living in this… ghastly place."_

_"__It's convenient," a new voice joined in. Annalise entered, wearing a t-shirt and jeans. "Besides, we technically just lost our parents. Suddenly having a lot of money by being able to afford both tuition and a fancy apartment would raise suspicion." She sat down next to Katherine and raised an eyebrow at her outfit. "Aren't you hot in that?"_

_"__Yep." _

_Katherine placed her fingers at the hem of the sweatshirt and was about to pull it up when she noticed Jareth's wide-eyed look of horror._

_"__What?" she asked, mid-pull._

_He clucked his tongue. "I know we are friends, Katherine, but I believe our relationship has not reached that point yet. The least you can do is let me take you out to dinner."_

_She kicked his leg as Josephine and Annalise burst out laughing._

_"__Shut up, Jareth. I'm just taking off the outer layer." She finally pulled off the sweatshirt and straightened the t-shirt she was wearing under it. "See?"_

_"__Oh." Jareth mocked looking disappointed before grinning at her teasingly. It made her blush. "Well, in that case, what a pity."_

_Before she could respond, they heard the front door open and shut._

_"__We're home!" they heard Jessica's voice from the living room._

_A few moments later, she and Elizabeth emerged, bearing bags of bottled soda and juice. _

_"__Let's eat, I'm starving," she said, plopping the bags on the counter. "Oh hey Kate, Annie."_

_"__Take whatever you guys want," Elizabeth said as she opened the bags and took each bottle out. "We got a bit of each. Jareth, please don't be shy and get whatever you want. You're our guest."_

_Without wasting any more time, they got ready to eat. They placed a bit of everything on Jareth's place, who tried each delicacy with trepidation. They would have cooked him a decent meal, but since his visit was a surprise and they didn't have the time to go grocery shopping, he had to live with it._

_As they ate, they talked._

_"__So what brings you here, Jareth?" Katherine asked, between bites of a spring roll. "You've never visited us Above before. But it's good to see you."_

_"__Yeah," agreed Josephine. "We haven't seen you since the Yule Ball last year."_

_Every year, High King Oberon and High Queen Titania hosted a ball during the Midsummer and Yule season. They were the High Queen's favorite times of the year. As royals of one of the Underground kingdoms, they and their grandfather were required to attend. But at the last Midsummer Ball a few months ago, Jareth had a runner in the Labyrinth and was unable to attend. This was the first time he visited them Above. Katherine and her cousins really missed him. She wondered if he would be visiting more often now._

_"__Well, I came up here to see someone," he replied, poking at a piece of general tsao's chicken with his fork, not bothering to hide his disgust. _

_"__More like watch longingly from afar," Josephine piped. Jareth glared at her and she held her hands up in surrender. "But, you know, details."_

_Katherine's eyebrows furrowed. "See someone? Who?"_

_"__Sarah Williams, of course," Annalise answered before Jareth could. "Apparently it's her birthday today."_

_Jareth sighed in annoyance at the two younger girls, but continued his story nonetheless. _

_"__As I was saying, I came here to visit Sarah, see how she is and everything." He smiled, a faraway look on his face. "She's an author now, did you know? Doing splendidly for herself. I don't think she's married yet. As to why, I will never understand. I mean, she is so beautiful after all."_

_As he talked and the other girls "awwwww-ed," Katherine felt a twinge on her chest. She began kneading at it with the palm of her hand. There was a weird ache there. She wondered what it was. _

_"__Are you alright, Katherine?" Jareth suddenly asked, noticing her action_

_She blinked. "Yeah, I'm fine." Then she flashed him a teasing smirk. "So you came her to see her and not us? What are we? Chopped liver?"_

_His nose wrinkled again. It was adorable._

_"__Why on earth would you compare yourselves to liver?" he asked, looking confused. _

_"__You wound us so, Jareth," Jessica said, dramatically, adding a pout for effect. _

_"__How dare you," Elizabeth added, shaking her head and pretending to cry._

_"__We thought you loved us," Annalise joined in with her own pout._

_"__And I do," he responded, tapping the younger girl's nose with a gloved finger, affectionately. She giggled. "Which is why I am here today. I recalled that you all lived here now so all I had to do was track your essence and followed it here to your…. Humble… abode?"_

_Jessica snorted. "Yeah, yeah, we know it's a dump. Sorry we're not all living in fancy castles at the moment, your majesty."_

_"__But you do have a fancy castle. If you all just returned home-."_

_"__Jareth, we talked about this," Katherine interrupted, gently. "We want to finish our schooling first. Have a normal life before we decide if we really want to go back and rule."_

_"__But you do want to go back," Jareth reminded her. "You all told me that the last time we saw each other. What is keeping you?"_

_The five girls flashed each other silent looks. Indeed, they wanted to go back and live in the Underground again. They missed their grandfather. They missed their handmaids, with whom they had become very good friends with. They missed their subjects. They missed the scent of magic in the air. But they had a reason for staying here._

_"__We just want to make sure that when we go back, we can prove ourselves to the High Fae Council," Katherine finally told him. "You don't have to tell us, but we know that the other royals look down on us, even you sometimes Jareth. Don't deny it, you know it's true," she added as he opened his mouth to protest. "You treat us like we're children. But unlike the rest of them, you believe in us and our abilities. And we want to prove to them that we can do it. We can rule despite our age and we will be good at it."_

_The others nodded in agreement._

_"__I'm an economics major," Annalisa said. "That would help me when I'm dealing with the royal treasury. Not to mention, I can take care of all the trading and mercantile matters."_

_"__And I'm majoring in education," said Elizabeth. "We want to establish a formal school system in the kingdom. Kate said I can be in charge of that. And I've always wanted to teach too."_

_"__I'm doing architecture," said Josephine. "I'm already drawing up plans for new structures. And possibly adding an irrigation system for the fields. It would make the lives of the farmers much easier. I'm still working on the details."_

_"__And I'm a criminal justice major," said Jessica. "I already told Kate I want to take care of the judiciary matters back at the kingdom. I mean, I've always wanted to be a lawyer. This is the closest I can get to it. I've already looked at many of the laws regarding crime and punishment for the Nymph Kingdom. Gramps told me that some of those laws aren't working and could use some amending."_

_"__And I'm a political science major," Katherine finished off. "If I'm going to be queen, I have to learn about setting up treaties and alliances and running a country. Well, in this case, running a kingdom. I'm also taking a few law classes on the side. But, bottom line is, we all want to do something that the Underground has never seen before. And that is make changes. It's the only way for them to realize that we are serious about ruling."_

_Jareth had an eyebrow raised the whole time they were explaining their case. Katherine wasn't sure if he was pleased or disbelieving. After all, Jareth was raised an Underground royal and had been ruling for much longer than they have. He knew all the laws and politics of the place and the five of them suddenly making changes to how their kingdom had been ruled for centuries would either impress or disappoint him. They hoped it was the former._

_"__You thought about this very thoroughly, didn't you?" he finally said after a few moments of silent staring. "Although I am a bit impressed, I must warn you. Not many of the higher class will take too kindly to these changes, especially the nobles of your kingdom. They have always had power in the kingdom and are strict about keeping tradition. The slightest change might not be appreciated. Even the peasants might be overwhelmed. Have you even talked to Atticus about these plans?"_

_"__Well, gramps said that as long as we don't push it on them all at once, it won't be so bad," Katherine replied._

_"__Slowly and gradually," added Elizabeth. "Besides, we're thinking about starting off with small things like the school system and the irrigation system. Josie is already sketching out plans."_

_"__I see." Jareth leaned back in his chair. "Well, it looks like you all have a reign on this. There's no stopping you. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help."_

_"__Thank you, Jareth," Katherine said, smiling gratefully. "You're always there for us. We wouldn't know what to do without you."_

_"__Well, that is why you need my charms when you make these cases to the council," he said, laughing and patting her hand. "If only these same charms worked on Sarah," he added as an afterthought._

_There it was again. The weird ache in her chest. Katherine stood up from the table and excused herself, clutching her chest. _

_"__Do we have heartburn medicine?" she asked, heading for the bathroom._

_On her way there, she could hear Jareth ask, "What is heartburn?"_

She had ignored the ache then. Even passed it off as heartburn every time. But then she kept feeling it in the most random and inopportune moments. She felt it when he danced and flirted with various fae women at his parents' balls. She felt it whenever he complained to her about Titania setting him up with another fae woman to be the next potential Goblin Queen. In the few and rare times Sarah's name passed Jareth's lips, she could feel the ache, as if her heart was being stabbed and torn at the same time. But she ignored it. And she certainly ignored it earlier when he was telling her about how he truly felt about Sarah, what her rejection had done to him, and how despite all that, he still loved her. He probably always would.

Sighing, Katherine straightened up again and, after flashing him once last longing look, she quickly left his bedroom, her chest feeling that familiar ache once more.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth.

**A/N: I was inspired to continue this once again under tragic circumstances. So, I am dedicating this chapter and entire story to the man who brought our Goblin King to life. David Bowie, you will forever be missed. RIP. **

It was late evening now and Katherine was sitting at the vanity in one of the guest bedrooms in the palace. It was her room for the duration of her stay in the Goblin Kingdom. Her handmaid and friend who accompanied her everywhere, Sandra, gently brushed her hair while telling her mistress a story about her day, as per their routine each night. For once, Katherine only half-listened, her thoughts occupied with trying to find a way to cheer up Jareth.

"My lady?"

"Hmm?" Katherine looked up to see an inquiring look on her maid's reflection in the mirror.

Sandra was an air nymph, only a few decades old. Her skin was pale, almost alabaster white and her hair a dark midnight blue. Although older than Katherine in mortal years, she acted younger, still a teenager by fae standards. Her mother had been a guardian of a gateway in one of the mountains in the Elf Kingdom, but had long since passed from a sickness not cured on time. Sandra was her successor, but the nymph was still too young and did not have complete mastery of her powers over air. So in exchange for tutelage, she served as a maid in the palace, until Katherine came along.

"I'm sorry, Sandra. I didn't hear what you said. My mind is a little… cloudy at the moment."

"Cloudy, my lady?" Sandra asked, furrowing her eyebrows as she put the brush down and began to braid her mistress' hair. "Is something bothering you?"

This was what Katherine loved about Sandra. She always knew her mood and wasn't afraid to ask. They had both become very good friends since the day her grandfather assigned the young nymph as her handmaid. They had studied and practiced bending the air to their will together. She asked Sandra once if she was ready to take her mother's place as a guardian of a gateway and the young nymph simply shook her head and said that Katherine still needed her and she would stay until the young queen got sick of her. Which could take forever since Katherine wasn't sure she wanted to let her friend go. Aside from her cousins, Sandra had become one of her closest confidants. She even knew about the young queen's affections for the Goblin King.

"It's Jareth," Katherine explained. "He's still pining over Sarah. I wish there was something I can do. It pains me to see him so miserable. It's like the sun has stopped rising for him."

She sighed heavily. "I know that he will never see me in the way he sees her," she whispered, fingers tightly clutching the skirt of her nightdress. "But I wish there was a way for me to get her to talk to him. If only I know what her feelings are for him, maybe I can somehow get them together? I mean, if it's love, then anything is possible right?"

She looked up at Sandra's reflection. The nymph calmly tied the end of the braid with a black ribbon before turning her mistress around to face her.

"Katherine," she said and the Royal smiled. She always preferred it when Sandra used her name. "There is nothing much you can do. At this point, all you can offer him is your support as his friend." She strode over to the bed and pulled back the covers. "I mean, it's not like you can invite this Sarah to the Celebration Ball next month. Then she could see the King for who he really is. A just ruler and a kind fae, no matter the unorthodox way he shows it."

At her words, it was like a light bulb lit up above Katherine's head. She stood up hastily. Sandra was a genius!

"You're a genius!" she exclaimed, rushing over to the nymph to give her a hug. "That's what I should do! I should go Above, find Sarah, explain to her everything that Jareth couldn't say, and invite her to the Ball so they can talk! It will be a wonderful surprise for Jareth!"

Sandra's eyes widened as she shook her head, waving her arms in protest. "No! Absolutely not! Have you not thought about how many things can go wrong with that idea? We don't even know if Sarah remembers the King! Even if she does, we don't even know if she feels the same way for him. What if she rejects him again? Then what? He'll be angry at you for bringing her here without his consent."

"That's why I will talk to Sarah about Jareth before inviting her," Katherine replied, shrugging out of her dressing gown and getting into bed. "If she displays hints of possibly returning his feelings, I'll invite her. If she doesn't, then I'll leave it alone. All I have to do really is to make her see that Jareth is not the villain that she thought him to be. That he is kind and generous and amazing and honorable…"

A smile found its way to her lips as she thought about her friend. The friend that she was hopelessly in love with.

Sandra pulled up the covers over her and tucked her in. "I don't know, my Lady. This could go wrong. Please don't do anything rash. Think about the consequences of such an action."

"I think it will be fine," Katherine insisted. At the worried look Sandra was flashing her, she sighed. "Alright, if it worries you, I'll think about it. Okay?"

Sandra smiled before snuffing out the candle on Katherine's bedside and proceeded to do the same to others in the room with a wave of her hand. She left the fireplace going, knowing it would eventually die out while her mistress slept. The nymph gathered up the dressing gown and neatly draped it over the chair by the vanity. Bidding her mistress goodnight, she left the room to head for the servant's quarters.

But Katherine could barely sleep as a plan formulated in her head. A plan to entice Sarah Williams into speaking with Jareth. A plan that she hoped would make him happy, even if it broke her heart.

LABYRINTH

Three weeks later found Katherine seated at a small table in the gardens, her nose buried in a report about the nearly-completed irrigation system. There was a bit of a delay last week due to a little fistfight between some goblins, but that had been quickly resolved by the Goblin King. Other than that, it was coming along nicely and soon, it would be finished.

"My Lady, Queen Katherine?"

She looked up to see one of the fae castle guards approaching. He stopped a few feet from her and bowed as she stood up and tilted her head in acknowledgement.

"Yes?" she asked.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, your majesty," the guard said. "But there is a young lady insisting that you are expecting her. She said she is one of your nymphs."

Katherine's eyes widened and her heart begun to beat faster. She knew who it was.

"I am indeed expecting a nymph, lead her here."

The guard bowed and left to fetch the visitor. Meanwhile, the young queen began to pace. It was a habit that she could not break out of when she was anxious. She used to bite her nails, but obviously as a queen, bitten nails were not attractive. At the moment, she had to force herself not to bring her hands up to her lips.

Finally, the guard returned, a nymph behind him. She was one of the air nymphs who guarded a gateway Aboveground. Brown-skinned with pale white hair and icy blue eyes, she wore a pale blue dress that reached only her knees, a style favored by many nymphs, especially those who guarded the gateways, both in the Above and Under. It allowed them to move more freely without tripping on the skirts. A white silk belt was wrapped around her waist, holding in place a small white pouch and a silver dagger. And just like many of these guardian nymphs, she was barefoot.

She curtseyed, respectfully before Katherine. "Your majesty."

Katherine curtseyed back, letting the nymph know that she saw her as an equal, before turning to the guard.

"Leave us please," she said. "Thank you."

The guard bowed and walked away. Katherine turned back to the nymph.

"Philomena," she greeted. "What news do you bring?"

"My queen," the nymph greeted back. "I have done what you asked. Forgive me for the delay, your request was not easy."

"I know and I'm terribly sorry for that," Katherine replied, smiling at the nymph. "Come. Sit and have some tea."

The nymph shook her head and bowed. "Forgive me, my Queen, but I cannot. I must return to my duty. I only came to give you what you requested."

She reached into the pouch around her waist and took out a folded piece of parchment. She handed to Katherine, who hesitated before reaching over and taking it.

"My brethren guarding the gateways above were reluctant," Philomena continued. "But when I told them it was her Majesty's request, they went right to work. They sought help from the winds, the waters, the earth, the animals, every aspect under their jurisdiction Above. And thus, they managed to find her."

Katherine opened the piece of parchment and scanned it, her lips upturned into a satisfied smile before looking up at the nymph.

"Thank you, Philomena. And thank your brethren as well. If there is anything they need from me, they are free to ask."

"Thank you, your Majesty, but we do these because you are our queen and are loyal to you."

"You know, I've always given you the option to deny my demands," Katherine replied, chuckling lightly. "Truly, thank you."

"It was an honor, my queen," Philomena said, bowing her head. "I must now take my leave."

"Of course," Katherine curtseyed. "And continue doing a wonderful job, Above. I'm proud of you all."

The nymph bowed again before she disappeared in a gush of wind. Katherine took a deep breath. She had never been so grateful to the wonderful beings who inhabit her kingdom.

Before them, their mothers acted as keeper of the keys to the gateways Above, and the nymphs worked for them. Now, they worked for her and her cousins. Air, wind, and cloud nymph guardians like Philomena were under Katherine's command. Fire, volcano, and hearth nymph guardians were under Jessica's. Ocean, river, and lake nymph guardians were under Elizabeth's. Wood, flower, and animal nymph guardians were under Josephine's. And lighting, rain, and snow nymph guardians were under Annalise's.

Their nymphs were loyal and would do anything for the five keeper of the keys, even a little selfish request such as Katherine's. For in that little scrap of parchment was written the Aboveground address of Sarah Williams.

"Who was that?" a familiar masculine voice behind her inquired.

Quick as lightning, Katherine turned around while keeping the hand holding the parchment behind her back as she slipped it into the folds of her dress

"That was one of my nymphs," she said, honestly. "She came to give me a message."

Jareth raised an eyebrow at her. "Messages from your kingdom usually arrive by one of Josephine's dove minions."

"Well, this one is different," she responded.

He gave her a strange look, but shrugged and sat down at the table. Katherine was glad that he wasn't in a prying mood as she took her former seat in front of the pile of reports.

"So, how is everything coming along?" Jareth asked as he poured himself a cup of tea. "I just came back from visiting the school. The children love it."

The Nymph Queen smiled, proudly. The new school system was based on the one that Elizabeth had implemented back in the Nymph kingdom years ago. The school building was one of Katherine's own designs and put into blueprints by Josephine.

"I'm glad you like it," she said, pouring herself some tea as well. "And in a week, the irrigation system will be done too. I also checked on the new shield you put up around the kingdom, it's intact. Your portal in the clouds is still up and running, so no need to worry about your next summon. Josephine also said you can keep the portal she opened for you in the forest. It's a gift, but she is still stationing a wood nymph to guard it just in case."

"And are you planning on stationing a cloud nymph as well to guard my portal above?" he asked.

Katherine shrugged. "Do you want me to? You've managed to keep it safe without one until months ago. Technically, that one is not under our jurisdiction since it was made specifically for your use."

Jareth took a sip of tea. "It would be nice to have a guard," he said. "But I don't want to impose on the Nymph Queen."

"You know you can never impose on me, Jareth," she replied, smiling affectionately. "If you request it, it shall be done."

"Do not worry about it, Katherine. I'm just teasing. You fixing my portal is enough for me and I am grateful."

Jareth flashed her one of his rare true smiles and she blushed. "Anything for a friend."

As Katherine drained her cup, Jareth examined some of the documents.

"How goes the investigation on what happened to my portal, by the way?" he asked, eyes scanning her report on the week's harvest.

He hadn't had the time to go out into the fields in the last few weeks due to the amount of paperwork he had to finish for his monthly report to the High King and Queen. Katherine had volunteered to do it for him, since she had done it herself back in the Nymph Kingdom. He knew how restless she got when there was nothing else for her to do, so he agreed.

Katherine froze, not expecting the question from him. She knew it was inevitable. He had not asked in the last few months due to his busyness. She had kept the results from him until they could confirm the findings. He was not going to like it. And judging from the raised brow he was throwing her away, she knew that he must have noticed her reluctance

"Do you want to read grandfather's letter or shall I simply tell you?" she asked.

"Both," he replied, his mismatched eyes blank.

"His letter is up in my room."

"Then just tell me."

Katherine took a deep breath, her heart thumping nervously against her breast. She knew he was really not going to like it.

"As you know, we took some essence of the magic used to lock the gateway," she began. "Grandfather said he couldn't trace any nymph magic on it, so we know we haven't been betrayed by one of our own. So he tested it out with the spell he used to keep out the Moorlanders during the war."

She saw Jareth stiffen, his eyes now narrow slits as they stared at her. "And?" he urged.

She breathed deeply. "And it reacted. He wasn't sure at first, he thought it might just be some kind of dark magic. You know some Seelie fae. They may consider themselves good and pure of heart, but would dabble in dark magic if they're curious enough. But… further tests proved the first theory right… Your gateway was tampered with by Unseelie magic."

Jareth jumped out of his chair as he let out an angry roar. The sound scared some nearby chickens into screeching and running away. A few of the goblins lounging around scampered away in fear. The guards by the door visibly trembled, but remained at their post.

Katherine could only stare up at him, biting her lip. She, herself, was frightened, but not of him, but for him. When Jareth flew into a rage, he often lost all incoherent thought. Right now, he was gripping the edges of the table so tightly that his knuckles were white. She wouldn't be surprised if his fingers made dents on the table.

"THAT WOMAN!" he growled, shaking with fury. "THAT INSOLENT, LITTLE-."

"Jareth!" The Nymph Queen stood up now. "We don't even know if it's Mab-."

"Oh, I know it's _Mab_!" He said the name with poison. He truly despised his mother. "That woman has been doing everything in her power to mess with my ruling and my duties! She has tried my patience! One more like this and I'll-."

"Jareth! Calm down! Please!"

But the Goblin King conjured a crystal and threw it at a nearby hedge. It burst into flame. The goblins, who hung around, finally fled, shrieking in their little voices. Katherine quickly raised her hand and put the fire out with a large gust of wind. She glared at Jareth, who was panting, heavily, his shoulders heaving.

"Jareth, control yourself. You know that your retaliation is what your mother wants-."

"Do not call her my mother!"

Katherine breathed in deeply. "Mab wants you to retaliate. It will give her an excuse to declare war on the Goblin Kingdom and take over. What you should do now is to let your father know what happened."

"There is no need to involve Father. This is my kingdom and I will protect it on my own."

"And your father is still High King. He would want to know what's been happening to the kingdoms under his jurisdiction. And besides, you're still his son. He wouldn't want you to do anything that would pose a danger to you or your subjects."

She walked up to him to place a hand on his shoulder. "Please, calm down," she said to him, pleading with her eyes.

He looked down at her and breathed deeply. She could feel him relax his muscles under her hand, but there was still some tension. So she reached up and fiddled with a strand of his hair, playfully. It made him laugh when she did that.

Just as she expected, the Goblin King cracked a smile. "You're right," he said, resigned.

"Of course I am!" she teased, releasing his hair.

"I should go write to Father."

"Yes, you should. While you're doing that, I'll make a quick trip to the borders to your shields and put up the same anti-Unseelie magic seal that Grandfather created back home. Do you mind?"

"Not at all, thank you, Katherine," Jareth said, smiling again and stepping over to her to plant a light kiss on her forehead. "You have been a wonderful friend."

He walked back towards the castle, pausing to give orders to a goblin to gather some goblin soldiers to accompany her to the borders. He disappeared through the door way.

"Anything for you, Goblin King," Katherine whispered to herself.

LABYRINTH

_"__Grandfather?" _

_Atticus raised his head to look at his 16-year old granddaughter, Katherine, who had paused from her sketching. She was sitting on a sofa between his other granddaughters, Elizabeth and Jessica, both occupied with a book. His two youngest granddaughters, Josephine and Annalise, were at a table by the window, playing a game of chess. _

_"__Yes, child?" he asked._

_Katherine bit her lip before lowering her charcoal. "The Goblin King. What's his story?"_

_Atticus raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to know?"_

_He understood their curiosity. They met Jareth just a week ago and he had quickly captured their interest. What young women would not? Despite being half-Unseelie, he was still considered one of the most beautiful fae in the Underground… and an eligible bachelor._

_"__Well, if he's our ally, I'd like to know a bit more about him," Katherine responded._

_"__I'm interested too," Jessica added, marking her book before closing it. "He's a bit mysterious."_

_"__Wouldn't you rather ask him yourself?" he asked._

_"__We did," Annalise piped from where she sat. "He didn't say much except that he's half Unseelie and that his dad is Oberon and his mom is Mab. How did that happen? Isn't Oberon really faithful to Titania, or is that some kind of propaganda?"_

_"__Oberon has been faithful to Titania since the day they proclaimed their love."_

_"__But then, how did Mab end up having Jareth?" Katherine asked, tilting her head to the side in curiosity. "He wouldn't say much on it and we don't really want to pry."_

_"__It's a very long story," Atticus replied, not really sure if he wanted to speak about the Goblin King's past. _

_"__There's more to Jareth than what he's letting on," Katherine said, a determined look crossing her face. "We'd really like to understand."_

_His grandchildren were a stubborn lot. If they wanted something, they did everything in their power to get it. Sometimes he admired it. And sometimes, he cursed it._

_Atticus took a deep breath as he placed his book aside. "It's not the happiest of stories. Are you sure you want to hear it?"_

_He received his answer when the three in front of him placed their books aside and the two youngest abandoned their chess game and came to sit by their older cousins' feet. They looked up at him expectantly._

_He sighed again and settled in, making himself comfortable on the armchair._

_"__Centuries ago," he began. "After the first rulers of the Underground passed on to the next life, the two royal fae sisters, Titania and Mab, were left to rule it together. But they were as different as day and night. Titania was kind and compassionate, but was a firm and just ruler. Meanwhile, Mab was cruel and selfish, and she treated her subjects like slaves. Titania tolerated her sister for decades, but could bear it no longer. Likewise, Mab despised her sister's ability to sympathize with their subjects. So, she demanded that they split the kingdom in two. Those loyal to Mab would follow her to the Winter Lands and those loyal to Titania would remain where they were in the Summer Lands. It pained Titania greatly, but she agreed. Much of the kingdom remained behind such as the elves, mer-folk, and nymphs, but the trolls, ogres, parts of the Brownie and Dwarf kingdom as well as some fae loyal to her followed Mab to the Winter Lands. They formed the Unseelie Court. As you already know, it was not a fair split. Many of the fae were loyal to Titania and stayed behind. This made her sister bitter. Titania's kindness kept the essence of Seelie fae pure, whereas Mab's anger and hatred corrupted the Unseelie's. It is how the difference in our essence came to be so. It is also how their eyes became mismatched._

_"__For decades, it was peaceful. Seelie and Unseelie tolerated each other. Titania allowed the Unseelie access to their own gateways that didn't need nymph guardians. Mab placed the trolls in charge of them. But then came the matter of heirs. They both needed heirs to keep the royal bloodline pure. In their youth, both had fallen in love with the Elf Prince, Oberon. He was considered the most beautiful of the lot, gifted as well. Both wanted him as their husband and ally. And Oberon chose Titania. You can see where this is going."_

_"__Mab was furious then?" Elizabeth asked. "I can imagine the pain, having the one you love choose someone else over you."_

_"__Indeed, she was," Atticus replied, morosely. He had never met Mab, personally. But he had heard enough stories from the other fae. "So furious that it prompted decades of war between the two. Under Oberon and Titania, the Seelie were victorious. After Titania gave birth to their firstborn son, Theoden, Mab's anger and jealousy was incomparable. For although she was respected and feared among the Unseelie, no fae had dared to ask for her hand in marriage, thus, leaving her without an heir. When Titania bore Oberon a second child, a daughter, Lyra, Mab began to plot._

_"__No one knew how, but she managed to lure Oberon out and slip him a love potion. They had one night together. Oberon remembered nothing of it. He still does not. But one night was all it took for Mab to conceive, for she had taken a fertility potion."_

_"__Fertility potion?" Josephine interrupted, her eyebrows furrowed. Among his granddaughters, she was the one most interested in potions and magical concoctions. She occasionally visited the apothecary to learn. "I read up on that and they're extremely difficult to brew. I mean, the ingredients alone are rare to come by in the Underground."_

_"__What are the ingredients?" Annalise asked, intrigued._

_Josephine began to list them off with her fingers. "The nectar of a moon flower that blooms only every hundred years. The eggs of a silver koi, which live in the deepest parts of the Underground ocean, and are protected by the mer-folk, since they're considered sacred. Mistletoe, which don't grow down here and only in the Aboveground. The hazelnuts are probably the easiest ingredients to get, but they're poisonous to fae. Remember when we tried Nutella cookies for the first time at that bake sale back in the 7__th__ grade and we all ended up in the hospital?"_

_The five girls shuddered at the memory of being rendered unable to breathe and covered in red spots._

_"__But those are just a few of the ingredients," Josephine continued. "There's loads more and I don't remember them all. There's also very specific instructions on how to brew them. One wrong move and the whole potion is ruined. That's why most fae don't bother with it. It takes a lot of skill, not to mention, a lot of effort to just get the stuff. Plus, do you really want to accidentally poison yourself?"_

_"__Indeed you are correct," Atticus said, beaming proudly at his granddaughter. "You've been studying well. Keep it up and I may as well put you in charge of the palace apothecary and the healing glade."_

_Josephine blushed at the praise._

_"__The potion, just like what Josephine said, is extremely difficult to brew. But potions were Mab's talent, as much as magic is Titania's. Our High Queen had never been skilled in potions, and that is her only flaw. Mab was able to concoct an extremely potent fertility potion. Thus, Jareth was born._

_"__Oberon did not know of his existence for years. Jareth grew up in the Winter Lands and Mab taught him everything she knew about potions and poisons. He was gifted in them, like she was, and Mab was pleased. She planned to use the child to gain Oberon's favor so he may one day seize the throne meant for Titania's firstborn. She had also hoped that this would strain the marriage of her sister and Oberon. She drilled it into his head that the Seelie throne belonged to him and throughout his childhood, he believed it and vowed to take it when he was of age. For years, he resented his father._

_"__When Titania bore Oberon two more children, Elric and Morgana, Mab decided that it was time to put her plan in motion. She introduced Jareth to the Seelie Court as Oberon's son. No one wanted to believe it. I remember my own father being furious at the nerve of the Unseelie Queen to claim that boy as the son of the High Seelie King. Eventually, magic proved that Oberon's blood ran in the boy's veins. The knowledge of the King's betrayal did indeed put a strain on the marriage of the High Rulers, but the Queen was willing to forgive. Mab insisted that Oberon take responsibility for the child and left Jareth in his care. That was her first mistake. Her abandonment caused the child to resent her. And Mab did not count on her sister's compassionate nature. That was her second mistake. Titania allowed the boy to stay in the Summer Lands._

_"__His life here was difficult, at first. Many fae hated him because of his Unseelie blood. Thus, he hated them in return. He even hated his half-siblings and his stepmother. He, especially, hated his father, blaming him for the reason why his mother abandoned him. But Oberon tried, the gods know he tried, so hard to establish a relationship with his new son. It was difficult for him. The boy was hot-headed, quick to temper, and had a tongue filled with poison each time he spoke to them. _

_"Despite all that, Jareth had proven himself a brilliant young fae. He impressed all his tutors._ _I taught him all about politics myself for a few years before I took the throne to this kingdom, and trust me when I say that the boy had the makings of a good ruler. But, it was his grasp of his magical abilities that caught Titania's eye. He had Unseelie magic tutors before, but they had taught him darker versions of basic magic. He struggled with this new light magic, but he always managed it in the end. The Queen was impressed. She began teaching him magic, herself. Though at first it made him uncomfortable, being taught by his aunt and the woman his father chose over his mother, his knowledge in light magic only grew. It allowed him not only to spend time with Titania, but with his brothers and sisters as well. Oberon, through Titania's encouragement, also began to foster a relationship with him. And with that, Jareth grew closer to his father, step-mother, and half-siblings. Resentment turned to affection. Affection into love. He begun to admire his father and care for his new mother. He now respected his older brother, who was to be High King when the time came. He adored his sisters and formed an affectionate rivalry with his younger brother. All thoughts of taking the High Seelie throne for himself was lost."_

_"__How did he become the Goblin King then?" Katherine asked. "He mentioned to us that he has been the only one so far."_

_"__Ahhh, that story itself has a hand in strengthening the enmity between Jareth and his mother," Atticus replied._

_"__How?" Jessica asked._

_"__As an adolescent, Jareth decided that he wanted to travel all over the Underground. On his journey, he stumbled upon the Goblin Kingdom. Well, back then, it was more of a wasteland. The Labyrinth did not exist. There were no towns or cities. No fields or farmlands. And the goblins ran amuck. Jareth was intrigued by it. The creatures fascinated him, so he stayed a few years there, fostering camaraderie with them. They had no ruler, no social hierarchy whatsoever, and begun to look up to Jareth for guidance and leadership. It was because of them that Jareth was introduced to the Aboveground, for they had a secret gateway to travel Above. A gateway that even the nymphs knew nothing about, for not many fae back then desired to venture into the wasteland that was the home of the goblins. Not to mention, goblins were messy and rowdy creatures. They knew nothing much about the world they lived in until Jareth came along. They were more interested in the Above, to be specific, the mortal children, for these children, acted like goblins themselves. Messy. Rowdy. And loud. Not like the quiet and pristine fae children, who behaved from infancy. _

_"__On his journey Aboveground, Jareth came across a mortal mother, who was frustrated with her two young children. She wished someone would take them away from her. Seeing that brought back the feelings of resentment Jareth felt for his mother for her abandonment. In turn, he resented the mortal woman. Thus, when she turned away from her children, he took them. He returned to the Above many more times after that and each time, he returned to the goblin lands with a child or two, even dozens at some point. All unwanted and wished away by those meant to care for them._

_"__After many years, he returned to the Summer Lands with an appeal. He wanted to offer sanctuary to these abandoned children, possibly give them new homes with Underground families. But Oberon and Titania did not approve it. There was no place for the children, and how were they to know that the children truly were unwanted? Jareth knew nothing about how mortal minds and hearts worked. Sometimes, the two did not agree and the mind would do something the heart did not want and vice versa. So then, Jareth had an idea. He told his father of the land of goblins, how fascinated they were of mortal children. That was already where he brought the children he took, so he could offer them temporary sanctuary on that land. As for the mortal guardians, he would play a game with them, create a puzzle for them to solve. If they truly did not mean to wish a child away, they could fight for them. Thus, he built the Labyrinth. They approved it._

_"__The nymphs and I gifted him with a gateway in the skies for his use, for he loved flying. It was far more convenient for him than the little rabbit hole the goblins were using. It was chaotic the first few years. Your grandmother just had our fourth child, your mother Josephine, and four children and a whole kingdom kept us busy. Nonetheless, I aided Jareth as much as I could, as I had grown fond of him when he had been my student. Eventually, the goblin land got too crowded. There were too many children and the goblins could not care for them properly. Jareth got too weary traveling back and forth from the Summer Lands to the goblin land. And then, Mab discovered what he had been doing."_

_Atticus closed his eyes and leaned back on the chair. "She was furious because he was not trying to take the throne as she had drilled into his head when he was a child. Instead, he was running around a wasteland full of mortal children and dirty goblins. When she tried to take control of the land and attempted to take some of the mortal children to raise as slaves, Jareth had had enough of her. He took the matters to Oberon and Titania and asked for their counsel. There was nothing they could do in the situation. The goblin land was neutral territory. They did not take a side when the separation happened centuries earlier. They were neither Seelie nor Unseelie. The High Fae Council could only intervene if it was Seelie territory. That was when Jareth thought about turning the land into a kingdom, under the Seelie jurisdiction of course. All he needed now was the support of the Council. To everyone's surprise, they gave it._

_"__Despite their initial distrust of him due to his parentage, he had impressed them. They initially wanted to give the land to rule to Elric, but the youngest Prince refused it, insisting that he wanted to travel like his half-brother did. They could not give the land to the eldest, Theoden, because he was already acting as King Regent for the Elf Kingdom and was set to replace Oberon's father in only a few more decades. Meanwhile, Princess Lyra was determined to be a priestess for the goddess of the hunt and could not be dissuaded from her decision, and Princess Morgana was far too young to rule a kingdom. It was then that Titania decided to declare Jareth as her son and gave him the rights to the newly-established Goblin Kingdom. _

_"__The goblins were already loyal to Jareth and accepted him wholeheartedly. He had taught them how to cultivate the fields and raise livestock for food instead of their former vulture-like habits. He discovered several mines of precious stones in the territory and taught them about the value of money, how they could use these stones to barter one thing for another, eventually establishing a trading system. He taught them how to fight in battle, how to forge armor and weapons, and how to strategize. He practically ruled the land. He had already done much of the work, so why not just give it to him altogether? It made his father proud. It made Mab angrier. Over the last millennia, she had tried everything in her power to get him back on her side, from bribery to sabotaging his rule. And Jareth still resents her for it."_

_The story was finished. The five girls were quiet. His story both intrigued and saddened them. The Goblin King acted high and mighty and came off as arrogant, but he had been through a lot. Sacrificed a lot. Just to be the accepted and respected king he was now._

_They could not help but admire him all the more._


End file.
